Breaking Chains
by LittleMissyGalPal
Summary: After becoming a qualified detective, Hitomi arrives back to her hometown to find that the crime rate is suspiciously higher than ever. With the help of her partner, Eliot, they hope to discover and overcome the chain of murders before any more innocent people die.
1. Prologue

**A/N** **:** _Hi! I'm not sure if anyone remembers me, but I used to write a lot for Dead or Alive around 2011-2014. I had around 15 stories altogether and I stupidly deleted all of them (it's still one of my biggest regrets to this day). But anyway, I have decided to start fresh._

 _It is officially December 1st as I post this. I recently participated in NaNoWriMo and wrote over half of this story_ _in a month_ _. I have never been so motivated to write something in my life. Altogether, this story so far has 70,652 words; not including the Author's Notes. This is my first time writing a mystery/crime fic, so don't be surprised if it sucks. I hope that isn't the case, though._

 _Okay, I am finished with my rambling. Please enjoy!_

 **Warnings** **:** _Character deaths, mild language, blood and gore, alcohol references, drug references._

 **Disclaimer** **:** _All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Prologue**

The small town named DOATEC City is not known that well since it is pretty much placed in the middle of nowhere. There aren't that many people residing there, so there is an average rate of crime. Normally known as a quiet town, this time of the year was usually busy due to the school exams currently running, and the students of DOATEC High School were going crazy due to the overall chaos.

However, there was another particular reason why everyone in the town were so shaken up. This was because of the recent death of Maria Douglas, the extremely gifted opera singer. There were deaths happening all the time, but it wasn't so often when someone so famous would be murdered. It didn't help the fact that she was loved by so many people.

The death of Maria Douglas was broadcasted everywhere. This included the local news channel, magazines, and even the front page of most newspapers. Maria's photo (when she was alive) on the newspaper was viewed for a short few seconds just before being crumpled by a pair of slender hands. Hitomi Buchfink, the person who had crumpled the newspaper, threw it into the bin. She had been shocked by her death.

Hitomi was a senior high school student with average height and an athletic build. This was due to her father teaching her karate as a child. She wore her yellow and brown school uniform with pride, and her blue, almond shaped eyes gave her an innocent appearance. Her face was currently stricken with worry. However, the death of Maria Douglas was not the only reason why she was feeling so down.

"Hitomi, are you okay?" the girl walking next to her asked. This girl had pale skin, long brown hair, and brown eyes. She was of Asian ethnicity.

"I'm fine, Leifang," Hitomi sighed. Leifang glared at her best friend. She knew when the young German girl was lying to her.

"No, you're not," she said. "Come on, the lady was only an opera singer. It's not like you knew her personally."

"Thanks, you're a real help," Hitomi stated with a sarcastic tone. She then took a deep breath and decided to confide in her friend. "Okay, it's not just that… We're halfway through the senior year and I still don't know what I want to do when I leave."

Leifang smiled at Hitomi with reassurance. "I get what you mean. It's tough. I mean, I was twelve when I realised I wanted to get into science."

Hitomi chuckled. "That's not what I mean. At least you already know what you want to do. My dad is expecting me to take over the dojo. I would like to do that, but I want to help people in a different way…"

"I think you should tell your dad how you fee-"

Leifang suddenly stopped and turned around. Hitomi was curious as well. There were a couple of voices nearby. Both voices had an angry tone to them, so situation sounded worrying.

"We should see what's going on," Leifang said, dragging Hitomi with her.

All the way down the previously empty hallway were two other girls. Hitomi recognised one of the girls. Her name was Ayane. Hitomi already knew her due to being childhood friends with her brother, Hayate. She was a short girl who was currently two grades below Hitomi and Leifang. What gave her a unique appearance were her red eyes. Unfortunately, this trait would usually scare off any stranger who dared to approach her.

Ayane was currently shouting at the other girl. Leifang decided to intervene.

"Ayane, what is going on?"

"Nothing much," Ayane spat. "Well, except for the fact that Kokoro is being totally annoying once again."

Hitomi and Leifang looked over to the other girl. Kokoro was a petite girl with jet black hair that reached her waist, and her grey eyes contributed to her youthful appearance. The young girl was currently crying, and her body was shaking in fear. She was also holding a few textbooks.

"Just leave her alone, Ayane," Hitomi said, angrily. "What did she ever do to you?"

"Nothing. She just bothers me and I doubt anyone likes her anyway."

Hitomi glared at Ayane. "Why can't you be kind for once? Just back off and leave Kokoro alone!"

Ayane's glare immediately softened. She looked surprised. In fact, Hitomi was surprised as well. She had never yelled at anyone before. This sudden behaviour felt so strange, yet so empowering at the same time.

Ayane didn't say another word. Instead, she glared at Hitomi once more and turned around to leave. Hitomi could hear Ayane mumble something under her breath but she didn't dare to ask. A whistle then interrupted her thoughts. Hitomi looked to her left and realised that it came from Leifang.

"Hitomi, that was awesome!" she cheered. Hitomi could feel her cheeks reddening. She wasn't used to anyone complimenting her aside from her father.

The two girls then looked over at Kokoro who was still trembling.

"Are you okay?" Leifang asked.

"I-I'll be fine. I just need to stick up for myself more..." She then turned to Hitomi and bowed at her. "Thank you for helping me."

"You're welcome," Hitomi smiled. "How do you know Ayane?"

"Oh, we're in the same class," the young girl sniffled. "But… But she's right. I guess I can be annoying at times..."

"Don't listen to Ayane," Leifang said with a wave of her hand. "She's rude to most people. Don't let her get to you."

Kokoro wiped her tears away and attempted to smile. "I won't. Anyway, I need to go to the library and quickly deliver these textbooks. Thank you, again."

Once when Kokoro had disappeared, Hitomi tried to avoid Leifang's stare. Unfortunately, she couldn't handle the uncomfortable feeling for long and turned to look at her best friend who was currently smiling as wide as the cheshire cat.

"Hitomi… You know that was amazing, right?!"

"Leifang…"

"Come on, the way you handled Ayane was awesome."

Hitomi sighed. "Yes, but that's only because I like to solve things before they get complicated."

"That's true. Hey, you should be a detective since you like solving things so much," Leifang joked. She continued to laugh until she noticed that Hitomi seemed to be deep in thought about her comment. "Oh come on, Hitomi, I was joking."

"No… You have a point," Hitomi smiled. "This town is small and there are some crimes… Maybe I can help solve them."

"Hitomi, it's a dangerous job…" Leifang warned her. By the look on Hitomi's face, Leifang already knew it was too late. It looked as though Hitomi was taking this very seriously now.

"No, I think I actually want to do this. Of course I need to do some research, but I will definitely look into it. You're a genius, Leifang!"

And with that, Hitomi left her best friend behind in the empty hallway and proceeded to run over to the computer lab to begin her research. Hitomi was elated because just as she had lost all hope, she had finally found a new meaning for her future.

* * *

After a few weeks of endless research, Hitomi decided that this was most likely the path she would take. She knew that being a detective consisted of dangerous work, but this was something she really wanted to do. Even if she was able to make one person happy, it would make her world.

As soon as she found out everything she could online, Hitomi decided to head over to the DOATEC City police station. That way, she would be able to listen to the experiences and opinions of the most admired officers. When she entered the station, the first thing she saw was a young woman at the front desk. She currently had her head leaning on her shoulder as she was taking a phone call. Her manicured hands were typing away at the keyboard as she spoke in a polite tone. Her other notable features were the obvious spray tan she had on, as well as her short, bleached hair.

Hitomi waited at the front desk as she waited for the woman to end her call. Once she did so, she looked at Hitomi with a smile.

"Hey, Hitomi," she greeted. "What brings you here today?"

"Hi, Niki," Hitomi smiled. They had known each other for a while now due to Hitomi's friendship with Zack. Niki was currently dating him, and unlike Zack's previous short-term flings, this relationship seemed to be the real deal.

"I'm here because I think I want to be a detective," she continued. "I just want to find out some information and see how everything works around here."

"That's great!" Niki clapped. Then she leaned over her desk so only Hitomi could hear her. "I'd be careful, though. This can be a dangerous job. I don't want you getting hurt."

"I already know about that," Hitomi nodded. "I'll be fine."

"It would be great if you were able to join us," a frail voice spoke. Curious, Hitomi looked around the room to find an old man at the other side of the room. He had a slight mohawk and the back of his long, white hair was braided. He had a hunched back and a serious expression on his face. Due to the town not having many residents, Hitomi already knew who this man was.

"O-Officer Gen Fu," Hitomi greeted. "Hello. I think I'm interested in any positions you have around here. That is, if you'll take me in…"

"Of course," the old man confirmed. "We need all the help we can get. However, once you graduate from high school, you need to take a prestigious course all the way across the country. Do you think you could manage being away from your friends and family so long?"

It didn't take long for Hitomi to think about it. "Of course I can. My mid term exams are already finished, and I found the course online last week. I've already enrolled and hope to be accepted soon."

"You're very quick," Gen Fu stated. "That's very good. We need more detectives over here, so you're welcome to join us when you complete your course. We only have two officers. In fact, our first proper detective is starting toda-"

"Hey, everyone," a deep voice interrupted. The young man's face was covered by the stack of boxes he was currently lifting. He struggled as he walked past Niki, who giggled at the sight of him. "I'm here as the newest detec- WOAH!"

Hitomi cringed as the young man fell over. Pens, pencils, and a bunch of folders fell out of the boxes and were now scattered all around him. Hitomi was surprised to finally see his face because he looked to be even younger than she was. His shaggy blond hair was currently sticking up at unusual places due to him falling over, and his slightly rounded face was glowing red due to his embarrassment. Niki quickly rushed over to him in order to help him with the boxes.

"Th-thank you…" he muttered.

"No problem, sweetie," Niki cooed, which made the young man blush even harder.

Once the young man stood up from the floor, Hitomi noted that he was shorter than most men. He walked over to Hitomi and Gen Fu and smiled.

"Er, sorry about that," he chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "My name is Eliot Saunders. I'm here as the newest detective for the DOATEC City police department."

Gen Fu nodded at Eliot. "Welcome. I'm glad you are able to join us. I'm sure your skills will suit this place just fine."

"Thank you, sir."

Gen Fu looked over at Hitomi. "Eliot here is actually a grade below you. He graduated two years early since his school deemed him as very bright. He's starting today. Maybe someday you can join him."

"Oh, are you thinking about becoming a detective?" Eliot asked. Hitomi nodded in response. "That's great! You're going to love the course. It's hard, but it will be worth it."

"That sounds awesome," Hitomi smiled. "How long have you been in town for?"

"Only a few days. I don't have much money right now, so I'm currently bunking with a roommate. He's always drunk… and very light-headed," Eliot confirmed. Hitomi noticed that he seemed to be slightly annoyed by the mention of his mysterious roommate.

"Always drunk?" Niki questioned as she continued gathering Eliot's belongings into his boxes. "Are you talking about Brad Wong?"

Eliot nodded at her question. "Oh gosh," Niki rolled her eyes. "That man tried to flirt with me the other day. If Zack found out, he would be a dead man."

"Speaking of Zack, how are you two going?" Hitomi questioned.

"I think he's going to propose soon… Which is nice…"

"Really? You don't seem to be very happy about it," Hitomi noted.

"Oh, I am happy!" Niki confirmed. However, she didn't sound convincing. "I just… I don't know."

"I'm sure things will turn out great for you both," Hitomi smiled. Then she turned to Gen Fu. "Thank you very much for speaking with me today. I'll do my best to join your police force."

Gen Fu nodded in response. He was a serious man due to his line of work, but Hitomi knew he was grateful that she had shown up today.

* * *

A few months had passed and Hitomi was still more determined than ever to make it into her course. Part of her felt bad since Leifang had to deal with her nagging every day, but she didn't seem to mind. They were currently studying at the diner for their final exams.

Hitomi's head was currently buried between the pages of a mathematics textbook. This had always been her worst subject, along with the majority of all students across the world.

"Why is this so hard?" she muttered.

"Because you're not paying enough attention," Leifang answered as she wiped down another table with a rag. They decided to study at Johnny's Diner today since Leifang had an eight hour shift there. She had been working there for a few months in order to save some spare money. She seemed to love the job since there were barely any customers.

"That's easy for you to say, Leifang. You practically breathe these equations."

"I have to be good at it if I want to get into science," Leifang told her. She moved over to the next table. "You can look through my notebook if you want. I have a bunch of simple equations in there."

Hitomi smiled with gratitude and opened the notebook. Her face immediately fell as she noticed that Leifang's bubbly handwriting only contained the most confusing mathematical equations.

"This is ridiculous…" she sighed.

Leifang frowned at her friend. "Come on, don't be like that. You're going to succeed in these exams and then you will thank me for the rest of your life because I am the one who told you to become a detective."

"That's true. Thank you, again."

"No problem. That's what best friends are for. Besides, if there are any crimes that you need help with when you get back, then I'll do anything to help you."

"You're the best, Leifang," Hitomi smiled. She then decided to look through Leifang's notes once more until she found a more simple equation to learn from.

It wasn't long before Leifang was distracted from her cleaning. She quickly flattened the crinkles on her blue maid dress as the bell rang. When she saw who the customer was, she glared at him.

"Ugh. What do you want?"

"Just a hamburger," the customer ordered. He was a tall man with oddly shaped eyebrows. "I'm not dining in here, so take away will do."

Hitomi took a quick glimpse at the man. He wore a white buttoned shirt and had black slacks to compliment the outfit. He had a slightly tanned complexion and his dark brown hair was spiked up with gel.

It didn't take long for Leifang to make his order. Once she placed it inside a brown paper bag, she shoved it onto his broad chest.

"There you go. That's $5.70."

Once the man handed Leifang the money and received his change, he turned around and headed out of the diner without a word. When the door had closed, Leifang quickly ran over to the window and cupped her hands around her eyes. It looked like she was trying to see where the man was going.

"Are you seriously spying on Jann Lee again?" Hitomi asked.

"Yes."

"But you were just rude to him."

"So?" Leifang said, her eyes still scanning Jann Lee. "I'm always rude to him."

"That's because you like him," Hitomi teased.

"Shut up!" Leifang shouted, turning away from the window. "I hate that guy!"

Hitomi noted the blush forming on Leifang's cheeks and giggled. "Of course you do… But seriously, you should admit your feelings to him sometime."

"The only feelings I have towards that prick is hatred."

Hitomi sighed. She was more stubborn than anyone she had ever met. There was no use arguing with her, so she continued studying. After all, her future depended on it.

* * *

Another few months had passed, and it had definitely changed Hitomi's life for the better. She fortunately made it into the detective course. Despite being afraid to tell her father of her chosen career, he was nothing but proud. He watched Hitomi from afar as she happily began to move her belongings into a box.

"I'm very proud of you, you know," he said.

"Thanks, Dad," Hitomi smiled, turning around to face him. "These next two years are going to be hard without you, but I'll always be doing my best."

"That's the spirit. Even though you won't be taking over the dojo, I can still find some instructors. Hayate is already doing a great job, but I need someone to teach the younger kids."

"Good luck with finding someone. I'm sure Hayate won't mind if you ask him to teach the kids for now."

"I don't want to put too much pressure on him," Hitomi's father said. "Speaking of which, you should say goodbye to him. He told me he was going to the diner before his shift ended."

Hitomi picked up the box and dragged it across the room with the other filled boxes. "I'll see him once I finish packing."

* * *

With the help of her father, Hitomi was able to pack her belongings faster and was luckily able to fit each box into the back of her car. She noticed her car was a lot heavier to drive now, but she successfully made it to the diner in a short period of time. When she got out of the car, she was surprised to see Hayate, Leifang, and Ayane there. There were two other people with them as well.

"I'm going to miss you, Hitomi," Hayate said, giving her a hug. He then wrapped one arm around her shoulder and the other one around a slightly taller man. "I'm sad because Ryu over here is leaving in a few days as well. Both of my friends are leaving me, and I must say I'm deeply offended..."

"Hayate, don't be so vain. You know I have to leave," Ryu said, attempting to take Hayate's arm off him. It wouldn't budge, so he gave up.

"Why are you leaving?" Hitomi asked Ryu.

"My father has asked for me to visit him in Japan. It doesn't help that he recently went blind."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope you take good care of him."

Ryu nodded. "I will."

Ayane stood nearby, twirling her short brown hair. "Why am I even here?"

"Because Hitomi is leaving town today. We need to wish her all the best," the girl standing next to her said. Ayane ignored the girl and kicked the ground in frustration.

"Thanks, Kasumi," Hitomi said, acknowledging the girl. Kasumi smiled in return. Like Ayane, she was also Hayate's younger sister. Her auburn hair was tied back into a ponytail, which further complimented her striped top and white overalls. Her wide, amber eyes looked over to Ayane once again, but she was ignored once more. Hitomi knew that the two sisters didn't have the best relationship. She didn't know why Ayane disliked her own sister so much.

"You both need to be careful," Kasumi said, acknowledging both Hitomi and Ryu. "Also, please don't be afraid to keep in contact. I… I hope to still be friends with the both of you."

Hitomi smiled but she noticed that Kasumi seemed to be shy all of a sudden. She knew that Kasumi was mostly referring to Ryu. Hitomi then looked at Hayate. He just smiled at his sister. He seemed to be completely oblivious of the situation.

"Don't worry, Kasumi. I'll make sure to keep in contact with you," Ryu said with a slight smile. This was odd to Hitomi since she rarely saw him smile.

However, Ryu's smile quickly turned into its usual frown when Leifang pushed him aside. She approached Hitomi and gave her the biggest hug.

"I am going to miss you SO MUCH," she said dramatically.

"I'm going to miss you, too," Hitomi told her. "We can write letters to each other in the meantime!"

"Okay," Leifang smiled. She was sad, but she decided to use this time to be happy for her friend.

Hitomi made her way to her car and looked back at her friends one last time. She waved at them but stopped once more as she heard a thick Russian accent speaking nearby.

"Christie! You are under arrest for the murder of Maria Douglas. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you." The man said this bitterly as he handcuffed a tall woman with short, silver hair. He led her over to the police car parked nearby and roughly shoved her inside. Hitomi was surprised as she was chuckling at her current situation.

"Playing rough, are we, Bayman? You know I like that, but you are a pathetic coward!" Christie snapped, revealing her hidden anger.

Bayman sighed in annoyance. He was a man in his early thirties who was tall and had a wide, muscular build. He had a stone expression on his face as he got in the car.

Hitomi turned around to see Gen Fu nearby. He made his way over to the car and looked at Hitomi. She nodded at him in response, swearing to complete her detective degree in order to help him out at all costs.

And with even more determination than ever, Hitomi headed into her car and started the engine, driving away from her quiet hometown.

* * *

 ** _A/N_** ** _:_** _And that's it for the Prologue. I'm sorry it turned out so long… And I know I listed a lot of warnings at the beginning, but they will happen later on in the story. For now, this story is rated T but will soon be changed to M._

 _And with that out of the way, I really hope you enjoyed this. Please tell me your thoughts. Constructive criticism is welcome._

 _See you next time!_


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N** **:** _Ahhhhh, thanks for all the reviews/follows/favourites so far! It makes me so happy to know that people are enjoying my story. I'm planning to add each and every character one by one because it would be chaotic if I added 30 plus characters in one chapter. So don't worry about a certain character not appearing, because they will._

 _I don't really have much else to say, so I'll end it here. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!_

 **Disclaimer** **:** _All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 1**

The next two years were definitely the hardest Hitomi had faced. Every day seemed to be an even bigger challenge than the last, but like Eliot had said, it was worth it. During her time at the detective course, Hitomi made a new friend. Her name was Momiji and she told Hitomi that she wanted to become a detective so she could avenge her sister who died a few years ago. Her murder case still hadn't been solved.

The detective course also required every member to be at their best physical peak. It was at this moment when Hitomi was truly thankful for her karate lessons. Although she was already fit, it was not good enough. She, along with everyone else, would be exhausted after each physical session. Overall, Hitomi had learned a lot along her journey. Investigating a dead body was something Hitomi was intrigued to do, and she couldn't wait to go back to her hometown.

After exchanging numerous goodbye hugs with Momiji, the two promised to keep in touch. It was after they swapped phone numbers, e-mails, and addresses when both girls went their separate ways.

The car ride home took longer than expected. Being on the other side of the country, it took Hitomi at least four days to drive and sleep each night. Her secondhand car wasn't the most comfortable to sleep in, but she had no money to spend on a motel. She ended up signing a lease a while back, and all her money had gone towards the moving company to place some furniture inside her new apartment.

The reason why Hitomi had rented a new apartment was because she needed to find a living space that was closer to the police station. That way, if she was needed for any emergency, then she would be there in a hurry. Her father was sad that she had decided to live on her own, but he understood her intentions.

Once when Hitomi made it outside her new apartment, she parked her car in one of the residential spaces. She tried her best to carry two boxes at a time up the flight of stairs. Luckily, she only had four boxes in total, so she only had to go downstairs once. When Hitomi successfully dropped her last two boxes, she looked at the time on her watch.

 _8:03am_

Hitomi sighed due to exhaustion. She was tired since she didn't get much sleep last night. She was too excited to finally arrive at her new apartment. The German girl then dug through the pocket of her jean jacket for her apartment key so she could finally see what the inside of her new home looked like.

"Need a hand?" a deep voice called.

Hitomi jumped and let out a small scream due to being startled. Turning around, she took a sigh of relief as she saw a man in front of her. He was a tall, Caucasian man who looked as though he were in his mid to late twenties. He wore a black sleeveless hoodie which exposed his muscular arms and torso. Hitomi couldn't help but stare at his tattoos.

"Oh my gosh, you scared me!" she panted. "But help would be greatly appreciated."

"Great," the man smirked, picking up one of the boxes.

"I've never seen you around here before… I'm Hitomi," she smiled, turning the key through the lock. The door swung open and the newly announced detective was amazed with her new apartment. The interior consisted of red, brown, and white. Hitomi was thankful to see that the moving company had successfully attached the fridge, as well as her couch, in the right places.

"My name is Rig. I've never seen you around here, either," he said, placing the box on the couch. "I live right next door to you. I only moved in here two weeks ago, so I'm still new around here."

"That makes sense," Hitomi said, grabbing another box. "I just came back from a two year course. I'm the town's newest detective."

"Detective, eh?" Rig repeated. Hitomi didn't know why, but she was getting a creepy vibe from him. "I guess you better not look at my past records."

Hitomi laughed at what she hoped to be a joke, but Rig didn't laugh along with her. He just looked at Hitomi with a blank expression. Hitomi cleared her throat awkwardly and changed the subject.

"So, what brings you to DOATEC City?"

"I have relatives here," Rig answered. "I also wanted to start a new life, so here I am."

"Here you are…" Hitomi repeated awkwardly. "Anyway, it was nice to meet you, Rig, but I have a long day ahead of me, so I might as well unpack my belongings. Thank you for your help."

Just as Hitomi led him out of the door, Rig turned around with a cool expression on his face. "By the way, I usually have my music blasting through the stereo whenever I'm at home. I hope that doesn't bother you."

"It won't," Hitomi smiled. "I'm a deep sleeper and I'm always awake by 5am. But thank you for telling me in advance."

"No problem. I'll let you unpack."

After closing the door, Hitomi decided to put away as much of her belongings as she could. She decided to get everything over and done with so she wouldn't have to do anything later. It wasn't until three hours later when she suddenly craved for some lunch.

"Okay, that should do for now," Hitomi dusted her hands. "I can do the rest later."

Hitomi's favourite place in the world right now was her kitchen. She couldn't help but squeal at the new area she had all to herself. She still needed to plug in her microwave and blender later. She went over to the fridge to see what ingredients she could use to make her lunch. However, her face fell as she only saw a bruised tomato inside. The German girl took the tomato out of the fridge and put it in the bin. What would she do now with no food?

Hitomi had three options. The first option was to visit Rig next door and ask him for some spare food. She thought the idea was weird since they barely knew each other, so she scratched that out. The second option was to go to the diner to eat a quick meal. That also wasn't a good idea since it would cost around ten dollars for one meal. The third option was to go to the market and buy some groceries. Hitomi decided to go with this option since she would be able to find many discounts as well as buy food for the entire week.

* * *

When Hitomi finally arrived at her destination, she looked at the wooden sign on the side. The words _Seaside Market_ were engraved on it. For some reason, the weather was always sunny at the seaside market. This was because the market was placed right on top of a beach.

Hitomi walked past numerous crates and wired cages. There were many mini markets to shop at since they were scattered everywhere. It turns out many people depended on the popularity of their business in order to pay their own rent. Hitomi was planning where to begin her shopping adventure until something caught her attention. Standing just a few feet away was Kasumi. She was currently browsing through some items at one of the stalls.

When Hitomi had approached her, Kasumi's shocked expression was quickly replaced with a warm smile.

"It's so good to see you!" she said, hugging Hitomi tightly. "How was the course?"

"It was really good!" Hitomi told her. She then looked at the girl standing next to Kasumi. It was Ayane and there was something very different about her appearance.

"I see you've dyed your hair purple, Ayane. It looks nice!"

"Thanks, I guess," Ayane mumbled. She then turned to Kasumi. "We should go."

Hitomi smiled at the two sisters since she had never seen them get along before. Two years surely did make a difference.

"But I still need to buy this crystal ball," Kasumi told her.

"Well then hurry the heck up! We don't have all day…" Ayane said, crossing her arms. She then pulled a disgusted face at Hitomi since she was still smiling at them both. "I'm going to the car…"

When Ayane made her way to the entrance of the market, Hitomi smiled brightly at Kasumi.

"I can't believe you two are even on speaking terms now. When did this happen?"

"A while back, actually," Kasumi answered. "We just started talking more and now we're more civil towards each other."

"I'm glad you two were able to solve your differences," Hitomi said. She then looked at the stack of tarot cards in Kasumi's hands. "Are you into fortune telling?"

"I have been for a while now. That, and baking."

"That's great. We should bake together sometime!" Hitomi offered.

"That actually sounds like a good idea," Kasumi smiled. She then leaned slightly closer towards Hitomi. "Also, don't tell Hayate this, but he's been counting down the days until you get back… He was smiling a lot this morning."

"O-oh… That's uh..." Hitomi was at a loss for words. She could feel her face heating up and she honestly hoped that Kasumi didn't notice. However, from the sudden smirk growing on Kasumi's face, Hitomi knew that she noticed.

Hitomi and Kasumi continued to converse about their experiences throughout the last two years until Hayate appeared. Hitomi was glad to see one of her closest friends once again. She noticed that he was holding a miniature cactus.

"Oh, Hitomi… I totally didn't know you were coming back today," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. Hitomi instantly looked over at Kasumi who proceeded to roll her eyes. Hitomi could feel a blush making its way on her face once more.

"It's nice to see you, too, Hayate," Hitomi chuckled. "So, how has the dojo been?"

"Its been going really well. Your father is still looking for new instructors, but we're coping just fine."

"That's great. And I didn't know you were into gardening," she noted, pointing at the cactus in his hands.

"Oh yeah," he chuckled, twirling the miniature ceramic pot in his hands. "I bought this from Leon. He didn't seem too happy to see me, though… He shoved the plant right onto my hands and told me to leave."

"Hayate, go easy on him," Kasumi told her brother. "His wife just died!"

Hitomi was in shock from what Kasumi had just said. She had bought several plants from Leon and Rolande's market stall before. She had heard some rumors stating that their business included selling drugs, but Hitomi refused to believe that was the case. Even so, it was hard for her to believe that someone so kind and welcoming could die so young.

"Wait, Rolande is dead?"

"Yes," Kasumi confirmed. "She was murdered behind the gym two weeks ago. It's so sad, and Leon hasn't been the same ever since."

Hitomi couldn't believe her ears right now. She couldn't think of any reason as to why anyone would kill Rolande, let alone behind a gymnasium. She decided to not think about it too much and thought it was best to distract herself by shopping for her groceries.

"Well, I better start shopping. It was nice to see you both again!"

"Hitomi, wait…" Hayate said, looking somewhat hopeful. "Maybe we could meet up at the diner sometime soon and catch up."

"I agree. The three of us should catch up," Kasumi said with an innocent smile… A little _too_ innocent.

"But aren't you busy, Kasumi?" Hayate turned to his younger sister.

"Busy? Busy doing what?"

"Oh, I don't know… Busy with busy things to take care of," he said with a glare.

"... Oh yes. That's right… It turns out I won't be able to make it whenever you two decide to meet up."

"How unfortunate," Hitomi chuckled, waving at them. "Okay, I'll see you two later!"

Hitomi ignored her rumbling stomach as she scanned through multiple stalls. She decided to do her grocery shopping from the very end of the store and make her way back to the front.

The first stall she went to had a number of shelves at the back. Old books and antiques were scattered along each row. But what truly caught Hitomi's eye was the large cabbage on the table in front of her. The old man who was occupying the store greeted her.

"Hello. Would you like to buy anything?"

"Yes! I'd like to buy this cabbage, but is there a chance I could get a discount on it?" Hitomi begged.

The old man didn't seem so sure. "Oh, I don't know…"

"Please? Just a little discou-"

"I'll buy the cabbage for the full price," a feminine voice interrupted from behind.

"You have a deal!" the old man said with a smile.

Hitomi, now clenching her fist, was surprised and quite angry that someone else had the nerve to steal her cabbage. She looked over to the culprit with the preparation to tell them off, but she was surprised when she realised who it was.

"Leifang?"

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _I wonder what will happen next! :3 How will Hitomi react to Leifang stealing her cabbage? Will Hitomi and Hayate meet up? Will Ayane and Kasumi continue to be civil? Stay tuned for the next chapter!_

 _On another note, I want to talk about Rolande. Some of you guys might recognise her as "Lauren", but I grew up playing the games by addressing her as "Rolande". I think Lauren is the correct name and Rolande was a mistake due to some translation errors. Anyway, I realised this when I was halfway through the story. I already wrote her name a million times and can't be bothered finding them all. Plus, my OCD will kill me if I changed it to Lauren._

 _Thanks for reading! If you want, tell me what you think in the reviews!_


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N** **:** _I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I thought 'why not start 2017 off with a new chapter for everyone to read?'... So here it is!_

 **Disclaimer** **:** _All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 2**

"Leifang?"

The Chinese woman smiled at Hitomi and nodded in response. She hadn't changed much since they had last seen each other. The only noticeable changes were that she was slightly taller, and her usually untouched hair was styled into a pair of looped braids.

"Here you go," she said, passing the cabbage over to Hitomi. "It's my shout."

The two girls couldn't help but laugh at their situation as they left Muramasa's market stall. Leifang then offered to help Hitomi with the rest of her shopping so they could talk some more. Due to the Chinese woman talking a lot about random things that made no sense, it took a lot longer than expected for Hitomi to purchase everything on her list. Once when everything was bought, Leifang helped put the groceries into Hitomi's car and they drove over to her new apartment.

"You're going to love the apartment, Leifang," Hitomi squealed as she ran up the stairs. Leifang was huffing behind her as she wasn't used to running up so many stairs. Once they made it to the front door, Hitomi opened it so Leifang could step through. The karateka was pleased to see that Leifang was impressed.

"Oh wow…" she said in awe. She then placed the grocery bags on the dining table. "This place is amazing for the price."

"I know, and there's so much space! I can practice my karate moves without breaking anything."

Leifang headed over to the fridge and placed the cabbage head inside. "So, tell me what happened during your course. I want to know everything!"

"Okay, sit down," Hitomi said, ushering her over to the couch. Once Leifang was seated, Hitomi proceeded to speak. "The course was amazing! We did something new everyday and I learned how to investigate dead bodies. I even made a new friend. Her name is Momiji and we get along so we-"

"Wait. _Excuse me?_ " Leifang interrupted. "This stranger better not replace me as your best friend."

Hitomi rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. You will always be my best friend."

Leifang smiled in response. "Okay, go on."

"Actually… that's it, really. How is your university degree going?"

"It's going great and all, but I hate all the hard work," she sighed. "You know, Hitomi, I might as well be an actress instead. I'm good at acting _and_ I'm a good liar."

"That's not something to be proud of," Hitomi told her friend. She had always been against lying. "But other than that, how are other things… such as your… oh, I don't know… love life?"

Out of all things that could have happened, Hitomi certainly did not expect to be hit on the face with a pillow.

"You are so nosey, Hitomi!"

"Ow," Hitomi mumbled as she rubbed her nose. "Can you blame me? It has been two years!"

"Okay, _fine_ ," Leifang rolled her eyes. "I'm still in the stalking stage when it comes to that tall, handsome weirdo… But I can finally admit that I may like him… _Just a little_."

"I'm just glad you've finally admitted it," Hitomi teased. She then went quiet just before asking about someone else. "So… What about Hayate?"

Leifang glared at Hitomi. "I knew there was a reason why you were randomly asking about my love life. Anyway, about Hayate… He _did_ briefly date someone, but they broke up."

Hitomi felt a huge weight land at the pit of her stomach. She didn't like the fact that Hayate had dated anyone, but at least they had broken up.

"So… Who is the girl he dated?"

"Her name is Lisa," Leifang confirmed. "I've met her before; she's really nice! What's really cool about her is that she's the only female doctor at the hospital. The other female employees are nurses. I think that's what Hayate really liked about her…." Leifang trailed off as she saw the frown on Hitomi's face. "I mean… I don't really like her... At all... She's so-"

"It's okay, Leifang," Hitomi reassured her friend. "Plus, you said they've broken up. How long ago was that?"

"Um… Around three weeks ago."

Hitomi felt as though her mouth dropped to the floor. "Three weeks ago?! He's practically still in the heartbroken stage!"

"I don't know what to say…" Leifang admitted, fumbling with the couch pillow. She didn't want to say anything else that would make Hitomi feel even worse.

Hitomi sighed. She didn't really want to think about Hayate in the arms of this mysterious Lisa woman. The thought of Hayate made Hitomi think about how they were talking at the Seaside Market earlier and how Kasumi mentioned the death of Rolande.

"Oh yeah, did you know that Leon's wife died? I was so sho- Leifang?... Are you okay?"

The German girl stared at her friend as she began to cry uncontrollably. "Leifang, what's wrong?"

"Oh, it's just terrible, Hitomi," Leifang choked through her tears. "I was near the scene when she died!"

Hitomi froze. She was also confused. "Wait, what? How could you be near the scene?"

Leifang wiped away her tears before explaining the situation. "I was closing the diner for Johnny that night. It was around 11pm and while I was locking the front door, I heard a loud bang. I didn't think much of it... I just assumed it was the raccoons rummaging for food near the bins again..."

Leifang began to cry once more and all Hitomi could do was rub her shoulder as a source of support. The diner is only just across the road from the gym, so it made sense for Leifang to hear the noise.

"You are very lucky that it wasn't you who died," Hitomi told her. "You were alone in the diner. What if the murderer went there instead?"

"Don't even think about that, Hitomi. It's scary enough as it is."

"You're right," Hitomi said, hugging her traumatised friend. "I'm sorry."

* * *

The next few hours resulted in the two girls calming down about the murder by distracting themselves with cooking lunch. They then watched some television and avoided talking about Rolande's murder. It wasn't long after that when Hitomi decided to visit the police station in order to confirm her position as the newest detective. Leifang offered to leave the apartment with her so she could head home.

Once they entered the hallway, Hitomi could see Rig heading up the stairs. She revealed a polite smile as he got closer.

"How are you settling into the new place?" he asked.

"Everything is going well, thank you," Hitomi answered. She then looked over at Leifang who was staring at Rig with wide eyes. "Oh… Rig, this is my best friend, Leifang. And Leifang, this is Rig. He's new in town."

Rig gave an acknowledging nod at Leifang. She couldn't help but smile admirably at him.

"So you're new, huh… Do you have a job?"

"Yeah. I'm currently a bartender at Taylor's Bar. It's all the way across town," Rig answered.

"Interesting… And I like your tattoos. Especially that one," she said, pointing at the dragon tattoo on the side of his right ribcage.

"Uh… I'd personally prefer to forget about that tattoo, but thanks."

"Bad memories?" Leifang guessed.

Rig gave her an odd smirk. "I guess you could say that... Anyway, I better go back to my room and catch some z's. I have some important stuff to do later."

"Okay, bye," Hitomi smiled. Both girls headed silently down the hall until Leifang couldn't hold her thoughts in any longer.

"He's so creepy and suspicious, but so cute. I really like that in a guy."

"Why, thank you," Rig's laid-back voice traveled down the hall. Apparently he had heard her remark. Leifang covered her mouth in embarrassment and headed out of the building without another peep.

When they finally said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, Hitomi made her way to the police station by walking there. The sky was now turning orange due to the sunset and she couldn't help but miss the tranquility of DOATEC City. When Hitomi was at her detective course, there was always a constant chatter wherever she went. She was glad to be back home.

Once she made it to the police station, she entered the building and was surprised to see that the front desk was currently empty. Hitomi frowned. She really wanted Niki to see her on her first day back in town. It wasn't long until she was met with a familiar deep voice.

"Oh, hello, miss. I'm not sure if you remember me, but-"

"I remember you," Hitomi laughed. "You're Eliot; the guy who fell over with the boxes."

Eliot coughed as an attempt to hide his embarrassment. "Oh, right. Well… There's no need to remember me _that_ well."

Hitomi smiled at the young man. "Sorry. Also… I'm assuming that Niki finished her shift for the day?"

"Actually, she left town," Eliot told her. "She ended up winning some money at the casino a few months back and decided to start a new life."

Hitomi frowned. She really liked Niki. They always got along so well and liked to talk about Zack's usual misadventures. As she thought of that, Hitomi gulped. If Niki had left DOATEC City, then that means…

"Oh no, so that means Zack went with her, too… I really missed him when I was away, but I guess I'll never see him again…"

Hitomi looked up at Eliot, only to see that he looked uncomfortable. "Uh, well, you see… About Zack-"

"Niki dumped that poor sucker and left him behind once she won all that money," a thick Russian voice interrupted. Bayman made his entrance into the room and placed a gigantic pile of files onto his desk.

"Oh no, that's terrible…" Hitomi frowned. She felt bad especially since Zack had confided in her a number of times about his love for Niki.

"They were even planning to get married in a few months. I guess not anymore…" Eliot added.

Bayman rolled his eyes. "Enough about that idiot. You… uh… _girl_ … You need to speak to Gen Fu. I'll take you over to him."

Hitomi gave a quick glance at Eliot just before following Bayman across the building. Gen Fu's office was at the very end of the building. Bayman knocked on the door just before entering.

"The girl is here," he said. Hitomi looked at him weirdly. He must have forgotten her name.

"Ah, detective Buchfink," Gen Fu nodded warmly. "Welcome to the team."

"Thank you very much!" Hitomi bowed in response. "And you can call me Hitomi if you'd like."

"Hitomi… I need to write that down," Bayman muttered to himself, leaving the room in order to possibly search for a pen and paper.

"Alright, Hitomi," Gen Fu noted. "I must warn you that there are only four of us who actually work here, so you may be asked to come in at unusual hours. Are you fine with that?"

"Of course," Hitomi responded. "When do you think my first case will be?"

Gen Fu looked at her grimly. "Sooner than you think. The crime rate of DOATEC City has skyrocketed recently…" He quickly looked through a pile of disheveled papers and files until he came across the report he needed. He passed it over to Hitomi. "This is the case report of Rolande. She died exactly two weeks ago. Eliot has already recorded the information."

Hitomi looked at the case report and read it carefully:

 **INVESTIGATION REPORT** **: "The victim is Rolande. Age: 38. Her body was discovered around 8:30am in the alleyway behind Maxwell's Gymnasium. The cause of death was numerous blows to the head and face."**

After scanning through the file, Hitomi looked up at Gen Fu so he could continue talking. "It is possible that the victim died the night before around 11pm. We had a statement from a university student who claims she heard a large banging noise while closing the diner across the street."

Hitomi recalled back to what Leifang had told her before. She knew that the statement came from her. The female detective then decided to look further into the file. She turned to the next page and tried not to gag at the photos of the crime scene. There were several photographs of Rolande's body. Her face was unrecognisable. Blood was covering the majority of her face and there were large amounts of skin that were teared due to the murder weapon. It was clear that the murderer had something against her.

As Hitomi closed the file, she heard the phone ring. It was quickly answered with Bayman's voice in the background. Gen Fu quickly called Eliot over since he had a special announcement to make.

"What is it, Sir?" Eliot asked politely.

"Eliot, my youngest employee…" Gen Fu began with a wise tone. "At this very moment, Hitomi is officially your partner. You two will solve each case together from now on. As I always say, two heads are better than one."

"... Since when do you say that?" Eliot asked.

Gen Fu looked at the young boy with a blank expression. "Since I said so. Now now, you two should get to know each other more and get familiar with your skills."

Eliot nodded and looked over at Hitomi. "It is a pleasure to be working with you, Miss Hitomi. I have always wanted a partner to work with, so I think we will do just fine."

"I'm glad to hear that," Hitomi smiled. She then turned to Gen Fu once more. "Does that mean you and Bayman are partners?"

"Oh, no. We usually work on our own since we have more experience in the force," he explained. "Plus, there are so many crimes nowadays that it is best if we work on our own."

Hitomi looked at Eliot once more and smiled. She felt as though it was best that she started her investigations off with a partner since Eliot had more experience in the detective field. After all, Gen Fu even stated to her before that he was the brightest person in his school. Her thoughts were soon interrupted as Bayman appeared in the room.

"Boss, we've just received a call from the Douglas residence. The caller mentioned something about an attack."

"Did they say anything else?" Gen Fu questioned.

"Nope. The moron hung up right away."

"Very well…" Gen Fu said with a grim expression. He then turned to Hitomi. "I hope you don't mind, but it looks like you will be starting your first case right now. Don't be too terrified."

"I'll be fine," Hitomi reassured the old man.

Gen Fu slowly headed over to his desk and sat down. He clasped his ageing hands together and took a glimpse at his three employees.

"You three go. I'll stay here and look through the rest of these records."

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _I'm not sure if you can tell, but I'm going to try and add as many canon hints as possible (the cabbage incident, some of their personal quotes, etc.) so the story can have more of a lively feel to it. Think of it as a few hidden easter eggs._

 _Also, about Rig's tattoos... I have no idea what the heck half of them are, so I added a dragon for the lolz... I think one of them_ might _be a dragon, anyway. Or maybe I'm just blind._

 _Two new characters are going to be introduced in the next chapter. It's probably obvious who they are, but feel free to guess anyway._


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N** **:** _Out of all the chapters I've written so far, this one is definitely my favourite. I'm also trying to add as many canon places as possible so you guys have a general idea of what the areas look like. The majority of the places in this story are part of the Dead or Alive universe._

 **Disclaimer** **:** _All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 3**

Hitomi was filled with both nerves and excitement as she followed Bayman and Eliot out of the police station. When they reached the car, Hitomi attempted to call shotgun, but Bayman stared at her in a way which denied her access.

"Ignore him, Hitomi. He just hates it when people sit at the front passenger seat," Eliot stated.

"Oh... Well, that's no problem!" the detective smiled. She then headed over to the back of the car and sat next to Eliot instead.

The car ride felt never ending. There was a part of Hitomi that wished they would never get to their destination since she was worried about screwing up on her first day of the job. She looked over at Eliot who was smiling at her.

"Don't be worried about the investigation," he told her.

Hitomi blinked in surprise. "How did you kno-"

"I was once in your shoes, remember? Just be confident and you'll be fine."

Hitomi nodded at the young man. "Okay. I'll try."

Bayman rolled his eyes at the conversation happening behind him. "I hope this isn't going to be some shitty romance fling."

"I-I would never do that!" Eliot stammered. Hitomi couldn't help but smirk at the British male and decided to tease him.

"Oh really?"

Eliot couldn't believe his ears until his expression changed. It looked as though he were having second thoughts now. "Well…"

"It was just a joke," Bayman retorted. "Don't try anything funny or I will kick the both of you out of this car."

All Hitomi and Eliot could do at this point was look at Bayman through the rear vision mirror and nod in fear. Although, Hitomi couldn't help but voice another question which soon came to mind.

"Why did Gen Fu send the three of us to the Douglas residence? Shouldn't one person be enough?"

Eliot gave a small chuckle. "You've clearly never been there… It's a really big mansion. You'll see for yourself once we get there."

* * *

When the trio arrived at the Douglas residence, Hitomi immediately knew what Eliot had been referring to. The building in front of her was huge enough for at least ten families to reside in. Surely, it would be lonely for Helena Douglas to live there by herself. Ever since her mother had been murdered by Christie two years ago, Helena was on her own. What would she do with all that extra living space? Or maybe she just liked the Victorian feel of her mansion.

Hitomi only knew Helena through the opera channel on her television. She is well known and recognised as one of the highest paid celebrities in DOATEC City. At the same time, Hitomi internally admitted that she was excited to meet another celebrity. She already knew Tina Armstrong, the famous pro wrestler, on a personal level, as well as her father, Bass Armstrong. They were both well acknowledged and feared in the fighting ring.

The previously known karateka dusted her casual outfit. She really needed to collect her policing uniform soon. Nevertheless, she followed her two workmates up the stairs. She couldn't help but notice the sign on the wall from afar which read _Lorelei_. Once they made it all the way to the top, Hitomi rang the doorbell and waited in silence until someone answered the door.

Hitomi was amazed to finally meet Helena Douglas. She looked so much different in real life in comparison to her various appearances on tv. She was much shorter, had a more slim frame, and her blonde, waist-length hair was held up in two ponytails. What surprised Hitomi was Helena's sense of fashion. Whilst normally being seen in elegant dresses on tv, Hitomi found it odd that she would choose to wear something that a lolita fashion model would wear.

"Helena… Douglas?"

"No. I'm Marie Rose. Lady Helena hired me as her servant recently... Lovely to meet you all," the young girl said with a polite curtsey. "Come in, please."

As she followed Marie Rose, Hitomi couldn't help but feel embarrassed that she confused Helena Douglas for her own servant. She tried to ignore the sudden insecure feeling by looking at all the unique rooms they walked past. Each room was non surprisingly huge, and some of them even looked identical.

Eventually, Marie Rose came to a stop and slowly opened the door ahead so Hitomi, Bayman, and Eliot could step through. Hitomi noticed all the antiques and tea sets lying around the room. But what caught her attention was the blonde woman in front of her. She was sitting at a table as she clutched her chest in worry. Bayman rolled his eyes at the sight of her.

The three of them headed over to Helena with caution. They stopped a few feet away from her as Hitomi decided to acknowledge her.

"Helena Douglas?"

The French woman looked up from the floor and sighed in relief. She was a very polite, but seemingly overdramatic woman.

"Oh, thank goodness you are all here!" she spoke with a French accent. "For a moment, I thought I was going to die tonight. Luckily, that is not the case…"

"That's great news," Eliot cheered. "... But what happened, exactly? I'm a little confused."

Helena looked at Eliot with a dreadful expression. "Here… Let me show you."

The opera singer quickly got up from her seat and hurried over to the balcony. It was becoming dark and windy outside, but it was still easy for everyone to see due to the full moon.

"Okay, let me begin…" Helena prepared. "Marie and I were standing right here on the balcony. We were talking about the tennis match I had just won. I even earned myself a first place trophy-"

"Get to the point!" Bayman urged.

"Please be quiet and let me tell my story," Helena glared at the Russian man. She then coughed lightly. "As I was saying… We were talking about my successful match until I heard a loud, rattling noise and then a few banging sounds afterwards."

"I can confirm this," Marie pitched in. "I was standing next to Lady Helena when everything happened… After hearing the banging sounds, I offered to walk in first so I could fight off the attacker… But they were no longer there. They unfortunately stole some things. And… something of mine is being stolen right now," she said as she quickly looked at Eliot. "My heart."

Hitomi tried her best not to crack a smile as she looked at Eliot. The British man had gone completely silent and his face was now similar to a beetroot. He looked as though he was going to collapse from even being acknowledged by the young servant.

Bayman turned his focus to Helena since everyone else seemed to be distracted.

"Do you know what items were stolen?"

Helena looked at the ground as she recollected her memory. "Let's see… I believe it was my trophy, my tennis racket, and some tennis balls."

Bayman looked up as soon as he finished writing the missing items on his notepad. "That's all?"

"Yes," Helena confirmed. "What I do not understand is why they stole my tennis equipment when they easily could have asked? I mean, obviously I would not hand over my trophy, but everything else, sure."

Hitomi nodded at Helena's statement. "Helena has a point. Did you see all the different antiques when we were inside? Why would they steal some tennis equipment instead?"

"Speaking of antiques..." Helena started as she headed back into the house. "Look at this shattered thing! Do you know what this is?!"

"No…" Hitomi answered.

" _This_ was my mother's favourite vase. It is now _RUINED_ ," she said with immediate anger. "The selfish convict will pay for this!"

Hitomi nodded in understanding. She felt bad for Helena since she had lost the person who meant the world to her, as well as their most prized possessions. The detective decided to ask Helena more questions regarding the incident, but the opera singer stopped her from doing so.

"Don't you think I should be questioned by Bayman? He has more experience and I would like to get this case solved as fast as possible."

"Not a chance," Bayman said. "I'm going to be checking all the rooms to make sure nothing else has been stolen."

As soon as Bayman exited the tea room, Hitomi paid her complete attention to Helena once more. She decided to ask the most obvious question.

"Do you have any enemies that could have done this to you?"

Helena looked at Hitomi with a serious expression. "Yes. Actually, there are a lot of people who seem to hate me…"

"I can name them," Marie offered. Hitomi smiled and nodded at the gesture, so she continued. "Well, there's Leifang, Bass Armstrong, Ayane, Zack, and Lisa Hamilton. Some of them don't really hate her, but you cannot deny there is a source of conflict there."

Hitomi wrote down the list of names. She found herself to struggle as she wrote down the last name.

"And that new man in town. What is his name… Rig? He's a strange one. Add him to the list," Helena added.

"We can't just add someone to the suspect list because you think they are strange," Eliot commented. He seemed to be over his embarrassment involving Marie Rose.

Helena glared at Eliot. " _Add him to the list_."

The colour on Eliot's face suddenly disappeared. He seemed to be frightened of the opera singer. "Okay, I'll add him…"

* * *

After when all the remaining questions had been answered by Helena, they ended up waiting for a while in silence due to Bayman still conducting his search. Everyone remained seated on the lounge as they waited for him to come back. By the time he _did_ come back, he seemed to be very angry with everyone.

"Did you people not hear me call for help?!"

Everyone gave him a funny look. "No?" Eliot said, confused. "We didn't hear a thing."

"Why were you calling for help?" Hitomi asked. "Did you find the culprit?"

"Does it look like I found the culprit?!" Bayman snapped. "No. I was lost. This place is a bloody maze!"

Bayman looked as though a vein had popped in his head. He then quickly sighed and tried his best to control his temper. He decided to share his findings with everyone.

"I've looked in every other room in this ridiculous house. Nothing else seems to have been stolen. And seriously," he looked at Helena, "how many bedrooms does one person need?!"

Helena gasped and glared at the man in front of her. "Excuse you, but I have extended family who like to visit from time to time."

"Are they from a village?! You could fit a whole town in here!"

Helena ignored Bayman's retort and began to think about her previous experience just before. "I could have died tonight… I bet Christie escaped from jail and is now trying to kill me. She must be stopped! I demand the death penalty to be put on her!"

"It wasn't her," Bayman confirmed. "I visited her cell earlier today."

Helena glared at Bayman once more. "Two assassins talking - or _plotting_ \- together is never a good sign."

Bayman was going to share his piece of mind with the French woman until he decided against it and ignored her jabs instead.

"I'm not going to argue with your weird insults. I'm used to the flack from this stupid town," he spoke. "Anyway, our investigation phase is over. We're going back to the station."

"Fair enough," Helena sighed. "I hope you will call me once it is revealed what monster did this tonight." She then turned to Marie Rose. "Marie, you should walk them out. Afterwards, I could do with some tea."

"Will do," Marie Rose smiled with a curtsey.

They all walked out of the building in silence with Marie Rose. As they reached the front door, the servant held it open so the three officers could exit the building. She nodded at Bayman and Hitomi, and then looked at Eliot.

"Until we meet again, Eliot."

The door then closed and Eliot was left staring at it in awe. His cheeks flushed a slight tint of pink and he found himself stammering at the door.

"Y-yes… Until… again… wow."

"Stop talking to the door, Eliot. We need to go back to Gen Fu and report to him," Hitomi said with a slight smirk.

Eliot straightened his navy blue tie along with the rest of his uniform and looked at Hitomi with determination. "You're right. Let's go!"

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _I'm sorry this chapter was so short, but I needed to get straight to the point and not drag it out. I hope you guys liked the way I portrayed Helena and Marie Rose. If not, then that's cool. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion._

 _Anyway, that's it for now. Feel free to review if you'd like. Constructive criticism is always welcome. :)_

 _Until next time!_


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N** **:** _Okay, we're finally at the point where Hitomi starts her official first day as a detective_ _..._ _This is where things start to move along._

 **Disclaimer** **:** _All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 4**

By the time Hitomi, Eliot, and Bayman arrived back at the police station, they were exhausted. Bayman in particular was still annoyed that he had gotten lost inside Helena's mansion. When they entered the building, they found Gen Fu at Niki's old reception desk. He seemed to be looking for something.

"How did the investigation go? And does anyone have a pencil?"

Eliot handed him the pencil from his breast pocket. "The investigation went well, sir. No one was hurt and only a few items were stolen, but we plan on finding them soon."

"That is a very good plan, Eliot," Gen Fu nodded. He then looked at Hitomi and passed her a plastic package with some clothes inside. "This is your uniform. I forgot to give it to you earlier, so I apologise for that… It seems as though my old age is creeping up on me."

"Oh no, that's okay!" Hitomi reassured the man. "And thank you for the uniform. I'll make sure to wear it when I come to work tomorrow."

"Very good," he said, grabbing the nearest file and writing something on it. "Anyway, I'm almost done with these reports for the night, so you three are free to leave."

"Great," Bayman said with a sigh of relief. He made his way to the door. "I'm outta here."

"Oh, but before you go home, Bayman…" Gen Fu started. "Would you be able to drive Hitomi and Eliot back to their homes? It's pretty dark outside and I don't believe they arrived here by any means of transport."

Bayman gripped on the door handle a little tighter than expected. He then relaxed his shoulders and turned around to face Eliot and Hitomi with a stone expression on his face. "... Yeah, sure."

"Excellent. I will see you all tomorrow."

* * *

When Hitomi arrived home, she thanked Bayman and headed up the apartment building. Once when the detective was inside her room, she made her way over to her bed and let herself fall face-first on top of it. Hitomi didn't realise how much she had missed her old mattress since she was forced to sleep in her car for the past four days. She was just glad to be home. Today had been a long day.

It was only 6am when Hitomi opened her eyes. She decided to wake up early in order to get some of her old karate training back into her daily routine. After spending the past two years running around fields and climbing over giant obstacles, it felt refreshing to go back to her trustworthy karate techniques. However, she soon came to a stop when she received a text.

 _ **Hayate**_ _: Not sure if you're up yet, but what do you say to some coffee at the diner?_

Hitomi smiled at the text and responded that she would meet him there in fifteen minutes. This would be a good chance to grab breakfast as well since she would be at work for the majority of the day.

The karateka immediately hurried over to her room in order to put her uniform on for the very first time. Once she did so, she looked at the mirror through every angle and smiled in approval at what she saw. Her white buttoned top contrasted well with her navy blue mini skirt. After applying her short blue tie and white gloves, she grabbed her keys and headed outside. **[1]**

When she made it to the diner, Hitomi saw that Hayate was already inside. He was currently sitting at the end booth, reading the menu. His fishnet singlet and black leather jacket made it look like he was preparing to model for a photoshoot.

"You are… eight minutes late," Hayate joked as he checked his wristwatch.

Hitomi made her way over to the booth and sat on the opposite seat. "Sorry. I was too busy admiring my new uniform."

"Speaking of your uniform, tell me about the course you did. Was it as tough?"

"Kind of, but you know I always like a challenge," Hitomi replied. "I'm just glad it's over. I really missed everyone."

Hayate grinned. "Yeah, they missed you too... but not as much as m-"

"Welcome to Johnny's Diner!" a young woman interrupted. She looked at Hitomi with a genuine smile. "I've never seen you here before, but my name is Mila. What can I get for you?"

Mila was a young woman who seemed to be in her early twenties. She had wide brown eyes, and multiple freckles were lightly scattered all over her face. What gave her a spunky appearance was her hair. It was dyed red with black streaks and cropped in a short fashion. This seemed to contrast with her feminine maid dress. Unlike Leifang's blue design, Mila's was a dark green colour.

"I'm Hitomi! I'll just have some bacon and eggs, please." She then turned to Hayate. "What are you going to order?"

"Oh, he already ordered before you arrived," Mila answered for him. "You're the new detective, right? I've heard a lot about you."

Hitomi nodded. "I hope to be of use to the town. How long have you worked here for?"

"Almost six months. I usually share my shifts with Leifang," she said with a smile. "Anyway, I better make those meals. I'll be right back!"

When Mila disappeared to the back room, Hitomi focused on Hayate once more. There were plenty of things she wanted to know about his life ever since she had left for her course.

"So, how has everything been with you since I've been gone? Tell me everything."

"Everything? Okay," Hayate said, clearing his throat. "Well, my life has become much easier ever since Kasumi and Ayane started to get along. It's kind of a miracle… And all I really do these days is train at the dojo and teach my students during their classes. That's it, really."

"That's it?" Hitomi asked. She frowned since she expected him to mention Lisa.

"... Oh yeah. I've also been in contact with Ryu - but only once every few months. His father is doing a little better, so that's good. I hope he'll be able to come back someday."

Hitomi was glad that Hayate had been in touch with his best friend, but that isn't what she wanted him to tell her. With a sigh, Hitomi decided to beat around the bush because she already knew how oblivious Hayate was as a person.

"Rumour has it that you dated a doctor… Who is she?"

"Oh, Lisa? Yeah, we dated for a while…"

"How long did you two date?"

Hayate shrugged. "Just a little over a year. We broke up a few weeks ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that… Do you miss her?" Hitomi asked. She couldn't help but dig deeper with her curiosity.

"Sometimes, yeah. I was really into her until a few weeks ago… I had to break up with her because I realised I was thinking too much about someone else."

Hayate's sudden smile made Hitomi blush. She acknowledged his romantic hints, but she also knew that it was wrong.

"That's not something to smile about, Hayate," she said with a stern expression. "But still, I believe it is good to break up with someone instead of stringing them along."

"What can I say? I always do the right thing," Hayate shrugged. He then licked his lips in anticipation as Mila finally delivered their breakfast.

Hitomi was only a few bites into her bacon when the doorbell rang. She was surprised to see Leifang who had entered the diner in a rush. She ran to the back room and soon came out with a pair of binoculars. She then headed over to the front window and began to scan the area in front of her.

"Why are you looking at the gym?" Hitomi asked her.

Leifang looked away from her binoculars and took a quick glance at her best friend. "Because I think I can see Jann Lee running on the treadmill from here."

Hitomi rolled her eyes. "Just go and talk to him."

"No. I'm not going to admit my feelings to him… I'm still in the stalking stage right now, Hitomi. I've already told you this."

Hayate looked at both girls with a confused expression. "I have no idea what's going on, and I don't think I want to know..."

"Oh, be quiet and eat your pancakes!" Leifang pouted at him. She then turned to Mila. "Have you done the dishes yet?"

Mila shook her head. "Nope. You know I can't stand the detergent. The scent makes me feel nauseous…"

"I still think that's just an excuse to get out of doing the dirty work," Leifang poked her tongue at her workmate. "But whatever, I'll do it. I need to distract myself anyway."

Hitomi turned to Mila. "Scents make you nauseous?"

"Yep, especially the really strong ones. If we had a scentless detergent, then that would make my job easier."

"It would make my job easier, too," Leifang commented from the back room. "I should try and find a scentless detergent at the supermarket. That way, you can do the dishes for once."

"Mila can't help how her body reacts," Hayate shrugged. "That's like me when I can't do the laundry and my sisters yell at me for no reason."

"Hayate, you're just lazy," Hitomi teased. She stared at her now empty plate before pushing it away from her. "Anyway, I better get to work. I'll see you all later… And I'm glad we could catch up, Hayate."

* * *

When Hitomi made her way over to the police station, she got out of her car and made her way inside the building. She was surprised to see that Gen Fu, Eliot, and Bayman were already there. They stopped their conversation and looked at her; each with a different expression on their faces.

"I… I didn't know we had a meeting," she said in embarrassment. "Please forgive my rudeness."

"This isn't a meeting," Gen Fu told her. "We were just talking about the current cases we need to solve."

Hitomi nodded in response. She was relieved that she didn't already screw up on her (proper) first day.

"As I was saying," Gen Fu continued, "the crime rate around here is higher than ever. What I suggest is that we should all split our cases."

"I'll take the robbery at the Douglas residence," Bayman offered a little too quickly.

"Very well," Gen Fu said. He then turned to Hitomi and Eliot. "Since you two are partners, the both of you can investigate Rolande's murder."

Bayman crossed his arms and looked at Gen Fu. "I agree with that choice. We might as well give these two the chance to be real detectives." He then turned to Hitomi and Eliot. "Don't stuff this up."

Hitomi stared at the Russian man in silence as he grabbed his keys and left the room. Bayman was a very strange man. From what Hitomi knew, he used to be a ruthless assassin who killed not only for the money, but also for the thrill of it. One day he changed and decided to help the town. She was amazed at how he could ignore so much hate from certain people. Gen Fu seemed to rely on him as a trustworthy person, so the karateka instantly knew that she could place her trust in him, too. There was no doubt about that.

"Come on, Hitomi," Eliot's deep voice interrupted her thoughts. "Let's go to my office so we can talk about the information so far."

When they headed inside Eliot's office, he closed the door behind him and insisted for Hitomi to take a seat. Once she did so, the British man spread out the numerous papers of Rolande's investigation file onto his desk.

"So far we know that **it is possible that Rolande was murdered around 11pm**. This is because of Leifang's account," he said. "This obviously happened behind Maxwell's Gymnasium. I'd say that was a perfect area for a murder to take place."

"But why was Rolande there in the first place?" Hitomi questioned. "That's what I don't understand."

Eliot cleared his throat. " **I saw a few daisies near her hands**. Actually, there are a few flowers behind the gym… I'd say she was there late at night to take some of those flowers and sell them as her own."

"I guess that makes sense," Hitomi said. "She and Leon have a gardening business, after all… What other clues did you find at the scene?"

"There weren't that many clues," Eliot admitted. " **There were a few fallen trash cans near her body**. I assume that she fell over them… Also, **her face was was hit so much that she looked unrecognisable**. Other than her head and face, **her ribs were also hit multiple times**. They were pretty much broken."

"Do you know what the murder weapon was?" Hitomi asked.

"Yes. **I found a dumbbell near the back door of the gym. There was blood all over it**." Eliot quickly grabbed a photo from the file. It was a picture of the murder weapon itself. Other than the large amount of blood, Hitomi could see that the dumbbell was yellow and green. "As you can see, the killer didn't really bother to hide it." **[2]**

Hitomi noticed that as well. "You're right. That's really odd… So, who are the suspects?"

"I spoke to Leon after the investigation and he told me that Hayate and Lisa disliked their business because of some drug rumours. Apparently, they are really against the use of drugs - as they should be. I even asked Leon if this was true and he claimed they were lying."

"That's good," Hitomi replied. "Are there any other suspects?"

"Yep," Eliot answered. "I also asked the gym manager who had been there that night. She said the gym was pretty much empty around the time of the murder. She told me that she remembered seeing Rig, Jann Lee, Bass Armstrong, Mila, and Zack… Zack is actually the one who found Rolande's body that morning, so I'm a little suspicious of him right now."

Hitomi gulped at Eliot's comment. She considered Zack to be a really good friend and she didn't want to believe that he would be capable of murder.

"Have you questioned any of the suspects?"

"Not yet," Eliot confirmed. "Gen Fu wanted me to put the case on hold until you arrived back in town. I think we should start questioning these people today. Who should we interrogate first?"

Hitomi gave a quick thought about it until she came up with a plan. "I think we should go to the diner. I was there earlier this morning and Mila was working on her shift. I was with Hayate as well, so there is a chance that he is still there."

"Okay," Eliot said, grabbing his keys. "Let's go."

Hitomi felt as though she was currently going in circles. Of course, this is because she was just at the diner and now she was going back there again. When she and Eliot went inside, Hitomi was glad to see that Hayate was still there. He was currently in what seemed to be a deep conversation with his younger sister, Ayane. They were being served by Mila. But what grabbed Hitomi's attention was Zack. He flashed her a huge smile as soon as they shared eye contact.

Eliot was about to approach Mila until Hitomi stopped him. He looked at her with a confused expression.

"Mila looks a bit busy right now. I think we should question Zack first. Besides, he's the one who found the body."

"You're right," Eliot agreed. He then headed over to Zack. Hitomi followed along.

"Why hello, officer. What can I do for you today?" he asked Hitomi in a playful tone. She lightly smacked his shoulder in return.

"Zack, please," Hitomi tried not to laugh. "We're here to question you about Rolande's death."

Zack's face fell as soon as Hitomi mentioned Rolande. Beads of sweat began to form on his face. It looked as though he was worried.

"If you think that I did it, then I swear it wasn't me!"

Hitomi shook her head. "Zack-"

"I have a great life! Why would I want to ruin that?!" he continued. "Have you two seen the slop they call 'food' in prison?! There is no way I would give up my perfect life - and stomach - for that!"

"Zack, can you please calm down?" Hitomi tried to shush him. "We're only here to ask about the events of that night."

The African American male stopped talking and gave out a small chuckle. "Oh, right, how silly of me. Go ahead. I'll answer anything."

"Great to hear," Eliot said, clicking his pen. "What were you doing at the gym that night?"

"I was there to train with Mila," he explained. "I've been teaching her MMA lately."

"MMA?"

"Mixed Martial Arts," Zack answered.

"Oh. Right," Eliot chuckled. "And why were you at the back of the gym during the following morning?"

Zack was starting to look even more worried now. He sighed since he wanted to get the interview over and done with. "I was supposed to meet Mila at the gym around 9:00am so we could train some more, but I showed up early. I was finishing my protein bar, so I went to the trash cans behind the alleyway to throw it out, and that's when I saw… the body…"

Hitomi felt bad for Zack since she had never seen him so terrified before. He was always so confident around her.

"Thank you for telling us, Zack. I know how hard it can be," Hitomi told him. "Last question… Do you remember anything weird happening that night?"

"Zack looks a little shaken up, but I can answer that for you!" Mila interrupted with a cheerful tone. She then pulled a serious face. "We were training in the main room until a fight happened between Jann Lee and Rig. That's when Zack and I went to the spare boxing room. We wanted to get away from all the commotion and we were basically there until 1:30am. We agreed to meet again at 9:00am but we never did because of Zack finding the dead body."

Eliot quickly wrote everything down on his notepad and looked at Mila with gratitude once he was done. "Thank you for going into great detail. Since you both are each other's alibis, your names are officially cleared."

Mila gave a small smile and looked at Zack. He also had a smile on his face, but it looked forced. It was clear that he was traumatised from the experience.

Hitomi decided to leave Zack and Mila alone for now since it was clear that they had nothing to do with Rolande's death. She, along with Eliot, then decided to approach Hayate and Ayane about the situation.

"Hayate, we would like to ask you some questions about Rolande's death," Hitomi said. She then looked at Eliot but he seemed to be too focused on Ayane's hair.

"Yeah, sure," Hayate responded.

The German girl looked through her notes before proceeding. "We were given a tip that you and Lisa Hamilton had a strong dislike for Leon and Rolande's apparent 'services'."

"That's true," Hayate confirmed. "Lisa and I didn't really like their intentions."

"Do you have any proof that they sell drugs?"

"Well… no. It was just a theory that Lisa had. Apparently they were always collecting and selling weird plants at night."

"Okay," Hitomi said as she wrote the information down on Eliot's notepad. "And where were you on the night she was murdered?"

"I was with Ayane at our house," Hayate said, pointing at his purple haired sister.

"He's telling the truth," Ayane confirmed. "We were fighting about whether soy sauce goes with sushi or not…"

"It wasn't an argument," Hayate disagreed. "It was a debate."

"It was stupid," Ayane mumbled, crossing her arms. "I can't believe we spent three hours talking about it."

"Well, I enjoyed the debate," Hayate admitted. He then realised he was getting off track and turned his gaze to Hitomi once more. "Anyway, that's my alibi in the clear. Also, I don't believe that Lisa would kill anyone… especially for a theory. She's not like that."

Hitomi frowned at Hayate's response. However, they would still need to interview her later as well. She decided to thank them and take her business with Eliot elsewhere.

"Thank you for your time," she said with a smile. "Let's go, Eliot… uh… Eliot?"

Hitomi tried to get Eliot's attention but it looked as though he was still mesmerised by Ayane's hair.

"I… I really like your hair… a-and your eyes," he finally said to her.

Ayane was surprised by Eliot's random gesture of kindness. "Thanks… I've actually seen you around before."

"Really?" Eliot seemed shocked. "Oh wow. I actually don't think I've seen you… I guess I should pay more attention to my surroundings."

Ayane's face immediately turned sour after hearing his comment. Hitomi internally face palmed herself. She could tell that Eliot was slowly digging his grave.

"Well, that's just fine with me," she got off her seat with a loud thud. "I don't really care if people don't notice me. In fact, I'm used to it…"

And with that, Ayane stormed out of the diner. It wasn't long when Hayate quickly trailed after her. Hitomi hoped that he would be able to calm Ayane down. She then looked at Eliot who seemed to realise how bad his comment had sounded. He looked at the floor with guilt.

"I didn't mean to offend her," he said with heavy eyes. "I feel so bad."

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _There are still some suspects that need to be questioned, but that will have to wait until the next chapter. And who knows... maybe the murderer isn't even one of the suspects. ;) Or maybe I'm just trying to trick you._

 _Also, I've decided to stick with Ein's clothes in this story since all Hayate really wears is his ninja attire. If Ein never existed, then I don't know what I would have done._

 **...**

 **INVESTIGATION PROCESS #1**

 **Time of murder:** Around 11pm

 **Place of murder:** Behind Maxwell's Gymnasium

 **Murder Weapon:** Dumbbell

 **Who found the body:** Zack

 **...**

 **INVESTIGATION #1 SUSPECTS**

 **Hayate : [Suspect because of a drug theory]** Claims he was at home arguing with Ayane during the incident ( _cleared by Ayane_ )

 **Lisa Hamilton : [Suspect because of a drug theory]**

 **Rig : [Suspect because he was at the gym that night]**

 **Jann Lee : [Suspect because he was at the gym that night]**

 **Bass Armstrong : [Suspect because he was at the gym that night]**

 **Mila : [Suspect because she was at the gym that night]** She was training in the spare boxing room with Zack until 1:30am ( _cleared by Zack_ )

 **Zack : [Suspect because he was at the gym that night]** He was training in the spare boxing room with Mila until 1:30am ( _cleared by Mila_ )

 **...**

 **INVESTIGATION #1 CLUES**

 **~ Rolande was murdered around 11pm** \- earlier confirmed by Leifang.

 **~ A few daisies were found near Rolande's hands** \- is there a motive? Was she going to sell them as her own?

 **~ There were a few fallen trash cans near her body** \- did she fall over them while she was being attacked? Were they already like that? Did someone else kick them over?

 **~ Rolande's face, head and ribs were hit so much that she was unrecognisable** \- the murderer must be strong.

 **~ A dumbbell was found at the scene of the crime** \- there is blood all over it. Confirmed to be the murder weapon.

 **...**

 **[1] -** The police uniforms are actually the costumes from the DOA5U Police Uniform dlc.

 **[2] -** The yellow and green dumbbell is actually a tribute to the same one in DOAX2. It can be found at Zack of All Trades.

 **...**

 _Until next time!_


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N** **:** _This chapter is ridiculously short and I apologise for that. On the plus side, it's the shortest chapter in the story, so expect longer chapters from now on._

 **Disclaimer** **:** _All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 5**

Hitomi ended up purchasing two muffins for Eliot and herself before leaving the diner. She decided to bring up a new conversation regarding their case as they walked along the busy sidewalk.

"We still need to interview Rig, Jann Lee, Bass, and Lisa," she said. However, she noticed that Eliot didn't seem to be paying any attention. Instead, he let out a few depressed sighs and looked at the ground in defeat.

"Are you okay?" Hitomi asked.

"Not really," he finally admitted. "I have never been so mean to anyone before… I can't believe I just insulted a woman. I'm pathetic."

Hitomi was surprised at how much Eliot was beating himself up over the situation. However, she was honestly more surprised with Ayane's reaction. She had never seen the purple haired teen become so emotionally hurt before. She had to admit that it was kind of strange. It was also weird that she would admit to already knowing who Eliot was.

"I wouldn't beat myself over it if I were you," Hitomi told him. "Ayane doesn't really care about what people say. She will get over it in a few hours."

"I really hope so," Eliot said with a sigh. He then decided to change the conversation. "Anyway, about the case… I think we should talk to Rig next. He lives next door to you, and he apparently disappeared from the gym that night."

"Alright. Let's go and find him right now."

* * *

When they arrived at the top floor of the apartment building, both Hitomi and Eliot heard a loud, upbeat tune coming from down the hall. They headed near Hitomi's room but stopped just a few feet down. They were currently standing in front of Rig's room.

Eliot covered his ears since the music seemed to be too loud for him to handle. Hitomi then remembered what Rig had told her when she was unpacking her belongings yesterday morning.

"Rig likes to play his music out loud whenever he's home," Hitomi explained to him.

"I can tell..." Eliot mumbled.

Hitomi couldn't help but snicker at Eliot's displeasure. It was clear that the British man preferred a quiet atmosphere. Nevertheless, Hitomi proceeded to knock on the door loudly a few times. She hoped that the bartender would be able to hear the banging through the deafening music.

"Come in!" they heard his voice yell from the other side.

Eliot placed his hand on the doorknob and quickly turned it. The inside of Rig's apartment was almost similar to Hitomi's. Instead of a red and white interior, his was white and blue. He was currently occupied with his training and Hitomi noticed that he was wearing the same black sleeveless hoodie from yesterday. At this moment, he was lifting a pair of dumbbells as he attempted to perform multiple squats at the same time. Once he realised that the two officers had come to visit him, he quickly dropped the dumbbells and turned the music off. It was clear that he was expecting someone else.

"Uh, sorry about that. I thought you two were the landlord… What can I do for you both?"

"Hey, Rig," Hitomi greeted. "Eliot and I just wanted to know your account on what happened during the night of Rolande's death."

"Rolande's death?..." Rig questioned. "Oh, right, the plant woman… Uh, I can't remember much, but I went to the gym to train that night."

"Did anything unusual happen at the gym?" Eliot asked.

"Not really," Rig replied. "I ended up getting into an argument with that Jann Lee guy… We were arguing about who was the stronger man. Stupid, I know… But yeah, we were swapping insults back and forth until Bass intervened."

"Okay. And what happened after that?" Hitomi asked, writing everything down on her notepad.

"Nothing. I decided to go home and calm down. I was too ashamed to face anyone else. Most people in this town are already wary of me, so the fight clearly didn't give them a good judge of my character..."

After when Hitomi wrote down Rig's account, she looked up at him. His nervous attitude gave her the impression that he wasn't telling the full story.

"Did you hear any weird sounds that night? Like, any screaming or even the trash cans being knocked over?"

Rig shrugged. "Uh... Not that I remember. Plus, the music is really loud and you can't really hear anything else in there..."

After explaining his situation, Rig gulped and took a quick chug from his bottled water. Hitomi looked at him with curiosity. There was definitely something else going on. However, she continued to write his account down without a word.

"Is there anything else you want to add?" Eliot asked.

"... No. I have nothing else to say."

"Well, that's it for now, then. Thanks for your time, Rig," Hitomi said. She then exited the room with Eliot following close by.

Now that they were in the hallway, Eliot immediately covered his ears with his hands again since Rig had turned on his music once more. They proceeded to head downstairs and outside the building in order to have a proper conversation that wouldn't cause any headaches.

"Do you believe Rig's story?" Hitomi asked the British man once they exited the building.

"To be honest?… No."

"Me, too," Hitomi agreed. "He's probably our biggest suspect so far."

After the events of Rig's interview, Hitomi and Eliot decided to go back to the police station so they could type down all the information they had gathered from the suspects today. Once they did so, they printed the documents and added them to Rolande's investigation folder. The rest of the day involved brainstorming as well as coming up with multiple theories for each of the remaining suspects.

* * *

Hitomi was woken up the next morning by a random blast of music. Looking at the alarm clock on her bedside table, she noticed that it was almost 6:00am. She decided to get up since she knew she wouldn't be able to drift back to sleep. As she headed into the kitchen, she could hear a slight grunting noise coming through the wall, so she assumed that Rig was exercising again. She, too, needed to exercise, so the karateka made plans to walk to the police station today instead of driving her car.

After preparing and eating her breakfast, Hitomi changed into her uniform and made her way over to the police station. It ended up being a busy day which consisted of her and Eliot discussing about the possible motives for the suspects once more. Even so, Hitomi still couldn't understand why anyone would kill Rolande. From what she knew, everyone seemed to like her. The karateka eventually came to the conclusion that Rolande was just simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

* * *

On her way home, Hitomi was happy to spot a familiar face from afar. She called out for Jann Lee who was about to enter the gym. He stopped at the mention of his name and looked at Hitomi with a blank expression as she ran over to him.

"Jann Lee!" she called out once more. "I need to talk to you!"

"About?..."

"About Rolande's death," she slightly huffed as she came to a stop. "Do you... Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

"Go ahead, but make it quick. I need to train."

"Alright," Hitomi said, preparing herself. "Did anything strange happen that night?"

"Kind of," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was training that night when I got into a fight with the new guy. It got pretty heated until Bass showed up. After that, I went home."

"Do you have an alibi that can confirm this?"

"I don't think so," Jann Lee answered. "I don't remember running into anyone on my way home."

"Okay, that's fine. Thank you for your time."

Hitomi excused Jann Lee as she looked down and proceeded to write the newly given information on her notepad. When she looked up, she realised that Jann Lee was still standing in front of her.

"Was there anything else you wanted to mention?..."

"Uh yeah, actually…" he began. "I'm not sure if this is important, but I noticed later throughout the night that a dumbbell went missing. Rig was around that area most of the night… I think he probably stole it and didn't want anyone to suspect anything."

Hitomi's eyes widened at Jann Lee's account. She knew that Rig was acting awfully suspicious back at his room. It also didn't help that the missing dumbbell was most likely the murder weapon. Either way, she decided to ask what colour the missing dumbbell was since most of them are usually black or silver.

"Do you know what colour the dumbbells are in the gym?"

"Green and yellow," Jann Lee answered.

Hitomi could feel her heart beating faster than ever. The missing dumbbell in the gym was definitely the murder weapon. However, she decided to cover her shock with a smile.

"This information might be very helpful," she said. "Thank you for telling me."

"No problem. If you have any more questions, just call me." And with that, Jann Lee made his way into the gym.

As soon as Jann Lee was out of sight, Hitomi frowned. She couldn't deal with the amount of shock she was experiencing right now. Without thinking twice, she decided to go across the road once more and visit the diner. Once when she was inside, she was relieved to see Leifang. The Chinese woman frowned when she saw her best friend and hurried over to her. She knew something wasn't right.

"Is it about the case?" Leifang asked.

Hitomi nodded. "I might be onto something. It doesn't look good for a specific person right now. I really hope I'm wrong, though…"

Leifang placed both her hands on Hitomi's shoulders. She gently shook them. "Then investigate some more. Don't accuse anyone until you're completely sure. I'll do anything to make sure your first crime case is successful, okay?... _Anything_."

Hitomi smiled at her dramatic friend. Leifang was the only person who knew how to cheer her up. "You're the best, Leifang."

"I know," she said, flicking one of her braids. "Anyway, are you staying? Maybe we can catch a movie later, or something."

"That sounds great, but I'm really tired. I think I'll pass."

"That's okay," Leifang smiled. "Go home and get some rest. You deserve it."

Hitomi smiled at her best friend one last time before leaving the diner. As she began to walk home, she couldn't help but think about Jann Lee's account. If Rig had been near the dumbbells the whole time, then that means he easily could have swiped the murder weapon. Even so, she was now determined to get more evidence and put the murderer behind bars.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _Uh oh! Things don't look too good for Rig right now... Maybe Hitomi can find another suspect soon._

 _On another note, this chapter was so hard to edit that I was actually becoming frustrated (and I'm a very patient person). With that being said, I'm going to try and edit the next chapter quickly because this one was so short. Let's hope it will be much easier to edit._

 **...**

 **INVESTIGATION PROCESS #1**

 **Time of murder:** Around 11pm

 **Place of murder:** Behind Maxwell's Gymnasium

 **Murder Weapon:** Dumbbell

 **Who found the body:** Zack

 **...**

 **INVESTIGATION #1 SUSPECTS (UPDATED)**

 **Hayate : [Suspect because of a drug theory]** Claims he was at home arguing with Ayane during the incident ( _cleared by Ayane_ )

 **Lisa Hamilton : [Suspect because of a drug theory]**

 **Rig : [Suspect because he was at the gym that night] **Claims he went home after his fight with Jann Lee. No alibi.

 **Jann Lee : [Suspect because he was at the gym that night] **Claims he went home after his fight with Rig. No alibi.

 **Bass Armstrong : [Suspect because he was at the gym that night]**

 **Mila : [Suspect because she was at the gym that night]** She was training in the spare boxing room with Zack until 1:30am ( _cleared by Zack_ )

 **Zack : [Suspect because he was at the gym that night]** He was training in the spare boxing room with Mila until 1:30am ( _cleared by Mila_ )

 **...**

 **INVESTIGATION #1 CLUES (UPDATED)**

 **~ Rolande was murdered around 11pm** \- earlier confirmed by Leifang.

 **~ A few daisies were found near Rolande's hands** \- is there a motive? Was she going to sell them as her own?

 **~ There were a few fallen trash cans near her body** \- did she fall over them while she was being attacked? Were they already like that? Did someone else kick them over?

 **~ Rolande's face, head and ribs were hit so much that she was unrecognisable** \- the murderer must be strong.

 **~ A dumbbell was found at the scene of the crime** \- there is blood all over it. Confirmed to be the murder weapon.

 **~ A dumbbell went missing from the gym that night** \- Jann Lee states he saw Rig near the dumbbells the entire night.

 **...**

 _Reviews would be appreciated. Until next time!_


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N** **:** _This chapter is one of my personal favourites. :3 It focuses more on character development, which I love to write._ _I also have a special announcement at the end of the chapter, so make sure to read that, too._

 _There are also four new characters in this chapter. Read below to find out who they are!_

 **Disclaimer** **:** _All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 6**

A few weeks had passed since Hitomi arrived back to DOATEC City. In the meantime, Eliot told Hitomi that he had investigated Lisa on his own free time. The female doctor had told him that she was at her home on the night of Rolande's murder, but Eliot noted that her tone seemed suspicious. On their latest shift at the police station, both Hitomi and Eliot gathered their notes and observed the accounts of their suspects.

Hitomi scanned through Eliot's notes and acknowledged his neat handwriting. So far, Lisa Hamilton seemed to be one of the case's biggest suspects. This was because of her suspicious tone, as well as not having an alibi to clear her name. The other suspicious suspect was Rig. Like Lisa, he also had no alibi to clear his name. It didn't help that he was standing near the murder weapon for most of the night.

"I think we're doing well so far," Hitomi noted. "The only person we need to interview now is Bass."

"We should go, then," Eliot said, getting up from his seat.

The pair both hurried out of Eliot's office and made their way over to the front of the building. They stopped in their tracks when they saw Gen Fu looking through a file cabinet.

"Where are you two running off to?"

"We were planning to interview Bass Armstrong," Eliot told him. "U-Unless… you think that's a bad ide-"

"Don't be silly, Eliot," Gen Fu chuckled. "You two should go and find him."

Eliot and Hitomi responded to the senior officer by smiling and saying their goodbyes before heading off to find their suspect.

* * *

By the time Eliot and Hitomi made it over to Bass' mansion, they rang the doorbell with the hopes of an answer. Unfortunately, this did not happen. Both detectives rang the doorbell a few more times. After waiting for a short while, there was still no answer.

"It doesn't look like he's home," Eliot said with a hint of disappointment.

"He might be at the D.W.A Coliseum," Hitomi replied, heading down the stairs of Bass' estate. "We should check there."

The 'D.W.A' of the D.W.A Coliseum was an acronym for ' _DOATEC Wrestling Association_ '. As hinted in the title, this is where all the wrestlers would have their famous matches. These matches were usually viewed by many from the television as well as many other technologic devices.

When Hitomi and Eliot made their way inside the coliseum, they noted how big the arena was. The middle of the now empty room had a large stage. There were thick cables surrounding every corner. Bright, flashing lights also surrounded the room and gave it an energised feel. Unfortunately for Hitomi and Eliot, no one was there as well. Eliot slammed his palm against his forehead since they had driven all around town for nothing. Bass Armstrong was a hard man to find.

The next place they searched was the gym. He was normally there during the day to train for his championship matches. A few people were inside but none of those people were Bass. Hitomi sighed at the failure of their findings. She was starting to give up.

When they made their way out of the gym, Hitomi began to share her thoughts with Eliot about the case. However, she stopped when she realised that he didn't seem to be paying attention to her. He was most likely daydreaming again.

"Eliot? What's on your mind?" Hitomi asked, waving her hand in front of his face.

Eliot moved her hand away from his eyes and looked at her funnily. He then sighed with grief. "It's nothing, really… I was just thinking about Ayane again. I really should apologise when I next see her."

Hitomi looked both ways from the sidewalk before crossing the road with Eliot. "I'm pretty sure she's over it by now since it happened a few weeks ago. But still, I think it's a good idea if you apologise to her," she smiled.

"I still feel really bad," Eliot admitted. "I hope she'll forgive m- _HEY!_ "

Eliot was caught off guard since someone had pushed both him and Hitomi to the ground. The person, a young woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, ran past them in a hurry.

"Daddy!" she called with a strong Texan accent.

Hitomi gasped as she witnessed the woman entering the diner. She felt triumphant at that very moment, despite being on the ground. After getting up and dusting off her skirt, Hitomi stared at the diner with a wide grin.

"Eliot, I think Bass is inside the diner," she said, helping her partner off the ground.

Eliot seemed to be annoyed as he rummaged his hands through his hair. "For that rude woman's case, I hope so."

The two partners then made their way across the road since they didn't want to be run over by any kind of transport. Hitomi smiled with relief when she saw Bass Armstrong sitting at the front counter. He was a very tall man with a wide, muscular frame. His dirty blond beard covered the lower part of his face, and he wore a bandana with the United States flag imprinted on it. Overall, he looked like an intimidating person, but in reality, he was actually an easy man to befriend.

"Hello, Hitomi! Long time no see!" an overweight man with a chef's hat greeted her. This man was Johnny; otherwise known as the owner of Johnny's Diner.

"Hi, Johnny!" Hitomi greeted the man. She then made her way over to the professional wrestler. He was currently speaking to the woman who had knocked Hitomi and Eliot over before. This woman was Tina Armstrong; otherwise known as Bass' daughter.

"I have great news!" she told him with excitement. "I've just made it to the finals for the women's wrestling championship!"

Bass cheered loudly at the news and faced everyone else in the diner. "All drinks are on me! Today, I am a really proud father - well, I always have been, but you know what I mean!"

Tina smiled with gratitude. "I have other news as well, but it will have to wait until I win the match." She then turned to face Hitomi and Eliot. "I'm sorry for pushing you two over. I was too excited to stop and help you both up."

"That's okay," Eliot said. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Thanks, hon," the wrestler said with a wave of her hand. "When I win, I'm going to throw a huge party! Everyone will be invited!"

"What happens if you lose?" Hitomi asked.

"Don't be silly, Hitomi," Tina laughed. "There's no way I'm going to lose."

Before Hitomi could respond, Bass ended up cutting her to the chase. "The championship is next week," he said to Tina, gripping her shoulders. "You're going to need a lot of protein."

"I know, Daddy," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me!" he demanded. "Wrestling should be taken seriously at all times. When we get home, you're going to have one of those egg protein shakes."

Tina tried her best not to gag. "I'm already looking forward to it," she said with a sarcastic tone. She then made her way out of the diner. "Anyway, I'm going to do some training at the gym. I'll see y'all later. Bye!"

Bass smiled lovingly at his daughter. Hitomi could tell that he was extremely proud of her efforts. At the same time, she wondered what news Tina had wanted to share. Either way, she would have to wait until Tina hosted her congratulatory championship party.

Hitomi and Eliot then decided to approach Bass properly. He was now talking to Johnny, who was preparing a sandwich.

"Uh, Bass?"

Bass stopped speaking and looked over his shoulder. He gave Hitomi and Eliot a gruff smile. "Oh, hey. What can I do for you folks?"

"We would actually like to ask you some questions about Rolande's murder," Hitomi said. "What happened that night, exactly?"

"Other than the murder? Well… I was training with the barbells as usual until that fight between Rig and the angry one happened," Bass told them. "I stopped it before things turned physical. After that, I went to have a shower and then I went straight home."

Eliot wrote all the information down. Then he looked at Bass. "Do you have any alibis?"

"I was alone after I solved the fight," Bass said. The colour then drained from his face. "Wait a minute… I hope that doesn't make me a suspect. I DIDN'T KILL THAT WOMAN!"

"Without a witness, I'm afraid that makes you a suspect," Hitomi frowned. "But don't worry. We hope to solve this crime soon."

Even though Hitomi tried her best to reassure Bass, he still seemed to be worried. After excusing themselves, Hitomi suggested that she and Eliot should sit at one of the booths for a while in order to analyse their new piece of information. As they sat down on opposite sides from each other, the doorbell rang. Hitomi looked over Eliot's shoulder and saw a young girl panting heavily. Hitomi recognised her as the girl she helped back at school.

"You're late, Kokoro," Johnny told her. However, he didn't seem too bothered about it.

"I'm so sorry!" Kokoro apologised, putting on her apron. "My mother wouldn't stop talking to me and then there was so much traffic. I hope you won't fire me."

"Of course I won't," Johnny replied. "I need all the workers I can get. Although you've only been working here for a month, you're doing really well."

Kokoro's rosy lips formed a kind smile. "Thank you so much. That means a lot to me."

"Hey, Kokoro," Bass greeted. "Funny seeing you here during the day."

"I should say the same thing to you," she giggled. "You and your friend are my usual customers during my night shifts."

Bass replied to her as he chewed on his sauteed chicken. "Rig and I must be your best customers, then," he laughed.

At the mention of Rig, Johnny's face suddenly lit up. "Oh, you both have met Rig? He's my nephew. I'm glad he's finally settling down and making new friends."

Hitomi couldn't help but overhear what Johnny had said and turned to him in shock. "Wait… You're the family who Rig is visiting?"

"Yes," Johnny answered. "You've met him, too?"

Hitomi nodded in response. "Yes. We live in the same apartment. Next door, actually."

"What a small world this is!" Johnny laughed. He then began stacking the menus on the table behind him.

Hitomi and Eliot were both surprised when Kokoro approached their booth. She smiled at Hitomi and bowed at her with respect.

"I remember you. You are the girl who saved me from Ayane back at school a few years ago… I don't mean to be repetitive, but I really am thankful."

"Wait, what?" Eliot asked in a surprised tone. "I'm surprised Ayane could bully anyone…"

"She did, but it's in the past now. We have all done things that we are ashamed of. That's why we leave things in the past and try to better ourselves," Hitomi told him.

Eliot chuckled. "I didn't think of it that way. I guess you're right."

Kokoro smiled at Hitomi. "You are very wise. And not only that, but you have also helped me gain the courage to stick up for myself now."

"In a way, you kind of helped me as well," Hitomi admitted. Kokoro seemed to be confused, so she continued. "Helping you out that day is what convinced me to become a detective."

"Hearing that makes me so happy," the waitress gleamed. She then paid her attention to Eliot who was reading the menu. "Oh, I'm sorry… Would you two like to order anything?"

"I'll have a… strawberry milkshake, please," Eliot ordered with a smile. That smile soon disappeared, though, when he noticed that Kokoro was taking a while to write the order down.

"Okay, chocolate milkshake. Got it!"

"Strawberry," Eliot corrected.

"O-oh!" Kokoro stammered. Her cheeks were now tinted with pink. "I am so sorry! Strawberry it is!"

Eliot tried to calm the flustered girl down but he failed miserably. "No, it's okay! Don't worry about it! I'm sorry!"

"It's not your fault! I'm just a terrible waitress!"

"You're not terrible at all! It's my fault for ordering strawberry!"

"But it's my fault for writing down the chocolate flavour!"

All Hitomi could do at that moment was watch as Kokoro and Eliot continued to panic with each other. Kokoro eventually had to be pulled away from the booth by Johnny.

"Sorry about that," he said with a nervous laugh. "Kokoro is more used to the quieter shifts at night."

Hitomi and Eliot waved the issue aside and continued to talk about their investigation since they were alone again. They later said their goodbyes to Bass who decided to check up on Tina at the gym. As he headed out of the diner, he bumped into a man who was attempting to walk inside. The man hiccuped in response.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Bass growled.

"S-sorry there, buddy," the man replied as he stumbled inside.

The man who had just entered the diner had a slim but muscular frame. He had a stubble growing on the lower part of his oval face, and his long, greying hair was swept back into a braid. He headed over to Hitomi and Eliot's booth in a clumsy fashion.

"Hey there, kid," he greeted as he sat next to Eliot.

Eliot rolled his eyes at the man. He was clearly annoyed with him. "Go away, Brad. Can't you see I'm working?"

"I don't see any work going on around here," Brad said with a sluggish smile. Eliot crossed his arms with irritation planted on his face.

Brad chuckled since his plan to annoy Eliot seemed to have worked. He then turned his gaze to Hitomi and froze. Soon enough, his facial expression changed to a flirty smile.

"Well, hey there," he winked. "What do you say to a few drinks with me? Maybe we can even exchange numbers."

"Back off, Brad," the British man warned. "Your paedophile antics aren't going to work as long as I'm around."

"You're so protective of this one," Brad laughed as he leaned back on his seat. Eliot rolled his eyes at his roommate's childish behaviour. "Hey, waitress! Can I get a drink over here?!"

Kokoro headed over to the booth almost immediately. She held onto her pen and pencil and had a look of determination on her face. She seemed really keen to do her job right this time.

"What can I get for you?" she smiled.

"Just a cup of wine, thanks. Ooh… Is that cotton?" he asked, now touching the bottom of Kokoro's red maid dress. **[1]**

"Stop that!" she demanded angrily, hitting his hand. He flinched from the rough contact. She then glared at him. "How dare you do that to me without any notice!"

Eliot quickly held Brad away from Kokoro so he wouldn't cause any more trouble. "Sorry about that. He can get a little weird when he's tipsy."

"In that case, I won't be serving any alcohol to him," Kokoro said with a stern expression. A buzzing ringtone then appeared from the pocket of her apron. The young waitress quickly read the text she received and immediately had a large smile planted on her face.

"Is that your boyfriend?" Eliot asked. Hitomi thought that was a very forward question to ask.

"Huh? Oh… uh, nope. I don't have a boyfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Brad pitched in. He had a dirty look on his face.

Kokoro glared at Brad before explaining her situation to Hitomi and Eliot. "I have been talking to Helena Douglas a lot lately. We've been getting along really well and I'm so happy to have made a new friend," she smiled. However, her kind expression became gloomy. "But… my mother doesn't seem to like her for some reason. I can't figure out why..."

"Maybe you should trust your mother's instincts," Hitomi told her. "I'm sure she wouldn't be worried for no reason."

Kokoro nodded in understanding. "You're right. In fact, my mother was the one who pushed me to get this job. I'm so grateful because it enables me to pay for my college fees."

"What are you going to college for?" Eliot asked.

"To be a music teacher..." Kokoro said. Hitomi noticed how she seemed sad at the mention of it. "Anyway, I'll leave the three of you to talk now. Please don't be afraid to call if you need me."

The next hour consisted of Hitomi and Eliot trying their best to talk about the case once more. Unfortunately, that proved to be difficult for them since Brad was there. No matter how many times they hinted for him to leave, he never seemed to get the message. On their way out of the diner, Brad attempted to follow them back to the police station.

"Hey guys, we should go to the bar afterwards," he said with a hiccup.

Eliot stopped in his tracks and turned around to face the middle aged man. "You're not coming with us. Hitomi and I have to work on an important case. Go home."

"Alright, boss," he said with a salute. "You're cooking tonight, though… I feel like chicken but I might change my mind later."

Eliot tried to keep his anger under control. "Just go already!"

* * *

When they made it back to the police station, Hitomi and Eliot were surprised to see Bayman inside. They hadn't seen him at all these past few weeks. They figured that he was really busy with his investigation.

"How is your investigation going, Bayman?" Hitomi asked him.

"I've been finding my victims and getting absolutely jack shit out of them!" Bayman said in anger. The way he spoke reminded Hitomi about his past as an assassin. "And not just that, but they _all_ seem suspicious."

"Who are the suspects, again? Maybe I can help you," Hitomi offered with a smile.

Bayman mocked a laugh. "Pay attention to your own investigation, little girl. Having one case to solve doesn't make you a professional."

And with that, Bayman left the building. Hitomi could feel her fists trembling as she heard the older officer starting his car. She was offended that Bayman had called her a little girl. What made her feel even worse is that he had the impression to believe that she was self obsessed. The thought made her angry. Eliot, who noticed Hitomi's sudden frustration, hurried over to the miniature kitchen down the hall and brought her some peppermint tea.

"Here, let's drink this together," he said, giving her a cup. "Take a seat. We can talk about this."

Hitomi felt bad about making her partner worried. Nevertheless, she followed his orders and reluctantly sat on the chair across from him. Normally, she wouldn't be bothered to talk about her negative feelings with other people, but this was Eliot. He was her partner and she knew he wouldn't judge her. With a heavy sigh, she prepared to have a pep talk with him.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _And that's it for now. Hopefully you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it._

 **SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT : **_I have a poll up on my profile now. Feel free to vote who you think the murderer is. Since there are so many options to choose from, you can choose two people at most._

 **...**

 **INVESTIGATION PROCESS #1**

 **Time of murder:** Around 11pm

 **Place of murder:** Behind Maxwell's Gymnasium

 **Murder Weapon:** Dumbbell

 **Who found the body:** Zack

 **...**

 **INVESTIGATION #1 SUSPECTS (UPDATED)**

 **Hayate : [Suspect because of a drug theory]** Claims he was at home arguing with Ayane during the incident ( _cleared by Ayane_ )

 **Lisa Hamilton : [Suspect because of a drug theory] **Claims she was at home. Eliot thought she sounded suspicious. No alibi.

 **Rig : [Suspect because he was at the gym that night] **Claims he went home after his fight with Jann Lee. No alibi.

 **Jann Lee : [Suspect because he was at the gym that night] **Claims he went home after his fight with Rig. No alibi.

 **Bass Armstrong : [Suspect because he was at the gym that night] **Claims he had a shower and went home. No alibi.

 **Mila : [Suspect because she was at the gym that night]** She was training in the spare boxing room with Zack until 1:30am ( _cleared by Zack_ )

 **Zack : [Suspect because he was at the gym that night]** He was training in the spare boxing room with Mila until 1:30am ( _cleared by Mila_ )

 **...**

 **INVESTIGATION #1 CLUES**

 **~ Rolande was murdered around 11pm** \- earlier confirmed by Leifang.

 **~ A few daisies were found near Rolande's hands** \- is there a motive? Was she going to sell them as her own?

 **~ There were a few fallen trash cans near her body** \- did she fall over them while she was being attacked? Were they already like that? Did someone else kick them over?

 **~ Rolande's face, head and ribs were hit so much that she was unrecognisable** \- the murderer must be strong.

 **~ A dumbbell was found at the scene of the crime** \- there is blood all over it. Confirmed to be the murder weapon.

 **~ A dumbbell went missing from the gym that night** \- Jann Lee states he saw Rig near the dumbbells the entire night.

 **...**

 **[1] -** Kokoro is basically wearing Hitomi's red waitress dress in this story. (Fun fact: Hitomi was originally going to work at Johnny's Diner, but I made her the main character instead).

 **...**

 _Okay, that's it for now. I can't wait to see who you vote for!_


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N** **:** _I've been waiting like CRAZY to post this chapter! You'll see why. :D_

 _Anyway, I hope you enjoy... If anyone's even still reading this story._

 **Disclaimer** **:** _All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 7**

Hitomi took another deep breath as she tried to calm down from Bayman's unnecessary comment. She knew it was bad to let his words get to her, but she couldn't help it. She was also stressed about not being able to figure out who murdered Rolande. There were currently four suspects: Lisa Hamilton, Bass Armstrong, Jann Lee, and her next door neighbour, Rig. This was mainly due to their lack of an alibi to confirm their whereabouts. The only thing she needed now was a clue that would make the whole investigation easier for her to solve. Sadly, she had nothing.

"Tell me what's wrong," Eliot said. "I know there's something else on your mind that isn't related to Bayman."

"It's the case in general, Eliot. I feel like we're never going to solve this..."

Hitomi expected Eliot to roll his eyes at her negativity, but she was met with a warm smile instead. "We'll figure it out eventually. That's why we're partners - so we can help each other."

"Y-you have a point…" Hitomi sniffled. She took a tissue and blew into it.

"What time do you have work tomorrow?" Eliot asked after sipping his tea. "Maybe we can meet up and go over the files again."

"I start at 4pm," the karateka told him.

"Well, I have a break around 3pm, so we can meet then. How about we meet at… the diner again?" he suggested.

Hitomi couldn't help but smile at how determined Eliot was to make her feel better. "Okay, I'll see you then. Thanks for making me feel better, Eliot."

"Anytime."

* * *

By the time Hitomi arrived at the diner, it was only 3:15pm. She was glad to be on time. She also wasn't surprised when she already found Eliot inside. He was sitting in the same booth they were at yesterday. Once he saw her, he gave her a friendly wave.

"Hey," he greeted as Hitomi sat across from him. "This place is kind of busy today. It's weird, isn't it?"

Eliot had a point. A few people had just exited the diner. Hitomi had never seen more than five people inside the diner before. She also noticed that Mila and Leifang were slowly becoming stressed. Mila, in particular, seemed to be more tired than usual. The dark circles forming under her eyes confirmed that.

"Hey. What can I get for you both?" she asked.

"You look really tired," Eliot told the waitress. She laughed in response.

"That's because Johnny asked me to take over his shift today. He's really sick," she told them. "But it's cool with me since he offered to take my shift tomorrow morning."

Hitomi grinned at Mila's positivity. "That sounds fair. Anyway, I think I'll just have a salad."

"I'll have a hamburger and a glass of milk," Eliot added.

The waitress smiled as she wrote down their orders. "Okie dokie. Your meals will be with you shortly."

When Mila made her way to the counter, she saw that Leifang was already preparing the food over the grill. The MMA fighter was going to clean the tables until Leifang stopped her.

"They're already clean," she said. "Can you wash the dishes, though? They're piling up at the back."

"You know I can't do the dishes, Leifang. I get really queasy because of the strong scents."

"Not anymore!" the Chinese woman said happily. Hitomi tried her best not to laugh. Leifang looked as though she was currently advertising for a cleaning commercial. "You're not going to believe this, but I actually found a detergent with no scent last night."

"Wait. Those actually exist?" Eliot asked.

"Yep! The best thing about it is that it was only $2! What a bargain!" Leifang said excitedly. She quickly ran over to the back room and soon came out with the detergent. She passed it over to Mila. "Here, smell it."

Mila did what she was told and was surprised. "Oh wow… There's no smell. I also don't feel nauseous."

Leifang grinned as she flipped the food over the grill. "That's right. Now start scrubbing those dishes. You have a lot of work to do."

"I don't think I've been so excited to clean the dishes before," Mila laughed with pure happiness. "Okay, here I go!"

Once when Mila disappeared over to the back room, Hitomi turned to Eliot with a grin.

"We're going to be fat if we keep coming here."

Eliot laughed at her statement. "That's true. Maybe we should only come in once a wh…"

Hitomi was confused as to why Eliot suddenly trailed off. She noticed that he was now mesmerised by something behind her. Hitomi then turned around to see Ayane who had just entered the diner. She walked past their booth without a word and Eliot couldn't help but let his eyes follow her.

"I think you should approach her before you look like an even bigger stalker," Hitomi told him.

Eliot snapped out of his trance and turned to Hitomi. "I want to apologise but I'm nervous now..."

"It's not like she's going to kill you," Hitomi shrugged. "Just go and talk to her. It's now or never."

Eliot knew Hitomi was right. He took a few deep breaths before taking the plunge and heading over to Ayane's booth. Hitomi couldn't help but peek at them.

"Is there something you want?" she asked. She was clearly bothered by Eliot's presence.

"Yes, actually," Eliot said, now sitting across from her. The sudden glare on Ayane's face made him stand up again. "I, uh… wanted to… a-a-apo...lo…."

"Huh? Just spit it out already."

"I wanted to apologise for what I said to you a few weeks ago!" he accidentally shouted. The whole diner was now silent. Ayane looked at him with a blank expression.

"Oh, that? I don't really care about that anymore," the purple haired teen shrugged. "I was upset about something else that day, but I'll accept your apology."

"Oh, thank you so much, Ayane!" Eliot said with relief. "And about that other time, I really did mean it when I said I liked your hair… a-and your eyes..."

Hitomi could swear she saw the faintest blush appear on Ayane's face. Eliot didn't seem to notice. "Thanks," she replied.

Hitomi thought now would be the perfect chance for Eliot to end everything on a high note and leave Ayane alone. Instead, he just stood there with a goofy smile on his face. It was clear that Ayane was starting to get uncomfortable.

"Can you leave now? This is starting to get awkward…" she said, now grabbing her menu to focus on that instead.

"O-oh, right… Well, I'll see you around, then."

"Yeah. Whatever."

Eliot made his way over to Hitomi and sat down with a worried expression on his face. He didn't look very confident.

"That didn't go as well as I'd hoped."

"I actually think it went pretty well," Hitomi admitted. "I don't think I've ever seen Ayane act like that before… I think she likes you."

A smile appeared on Eliot's youthful face. "Really?! You think so?!"

The female detective confirmed Eliot's question with a nod. Her face then gleamed with happiness when she saw Leifang approaching their table with the food. As soon as Leifang delivered their food, she headed over to Ayane's table with a sigh. The two had never gotten along, but unfortunately for Leifang, she had to be civil at the diner.

"What can I get for you?"

Ayane looked up from her menu. "Nothing yet. I'm waiting for Kasumi to arrive."

Hitomi couldn't help but overhear and decided to respond to Ayane. "I think it's great that you and Kasumi are getting along so well now!"

All Ayane did in return was shrug at Hitomi. She then buried her head between the cardboard menu once more. Hitomi sighed. It didn't look like Ayane was going to warm up to her anytime soon.

While they ate, Hitomi thought this was the perfect chance for her and Eliot to gather their thoughts about the case. Even though they weren't close to solving the crime, it was always a good idea to brainstorm ideas and theories anyway. As they did so, Mila soon appeared from the back room. She smiled, which told Hitomi that she had washed the dishes successfully.

"I did it!" she gleamed. "Kokoro should be here soon, which is good because I need to go to my photography class."

"You attend photography classes?" Hitomi asked. She, too, had an interest in photography.

"That's correct! For some reason, we're focusing on videotaping things this week. I personally think it's weird because I prefer to take photos… But whatever. I'm not complaining."

"Back to Kokoro..." Leifang said, changing the subject. "When is she supposed to start her shift?"

"Five minutes from now," Mila told her, checking her wristwatch. "Apparently she's served Bass Armstrong before… She is so lucky! I wish I had the nighttime shifts… What do you think he orders?"

"I have no idea," Leifang shrugged. "But you can go if you want. I don't want you to be late for your class."

Mila headed to the back room and soon came out with her backpack. "Thanks, Leifang. I'm going to catch the train to my class since walking will take forever… I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, guys!"

As soon as Mila left the diner, Leifang headed over to the booth area to sit down with Hitomi and Eliot. Apart from Ayane, there were no other customers in the store. There was nothing else for Leifang to do, so she thought this would be the perfect time to chill out. However, there was something on her mind which stopped her from doing so.

"What's wrong?" Hitomi asked. She always knew when something was wrong with her best friend.

"It's Kokoro. She's late… again."

Eliot shrugged at the waitress. "Well, it's not like the diner is busy right now."

"I know that," Leifang sighed. "But she's _always_ late. I think there's something up with her personal life. Why else would she be late for every single shift?"

Hitomi didn't know what to say to that. If Kokoro was having personal troubles, then it was definitely none of her business. Her attention was then caught by Ayane who was muttering a bunch of curses in the background. Hitomi looked past Eliot's shoulder to see that the high school student was texting on her mobile with a frustrated expression on her face. She was most likely trying to get a hold of Kasumi.

It wasn't until another ten minutes had passed when Kokoro finally showed up for her shift. Hitomi noticed that her nose was blotchy and her eyes were slightly red. It was obvious that the young girl had been crying.

"Sorry for being late. I had some troubles," she bowed at Leifang.

"Are you okay, Kokoro?" Leifang asked her.

"I've just been fighting with my mother again," Kokoro answered as she attached her apron to her maid dress. "I'll be fine."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Eliot asked.

"Yeah, talk to us," Leifang patted the available seat next to her. "The diner isn't busy right now."

Kokoro seem reluctant at first, but she gave in and sat down next to Leifang.

"My mother and I have been arguing about my college classes," Kokoro admitted. "She wants me to be a music teacher, but… that's not what I want to do. It's too bad that I'm living under her roof. She won't let me have a say."

"Well, that's not right," Hitomi frowned. "You should tell your mother how you feel."

Kokoro began to tear up again. "I… I can't. I'm scared… The only person I've spoken to about this is Lisa. She has been really helpful with her advice. But like my situation with Helena, my mother doesn't seem to like Lisa as well. She won't tell me why…"

"Don't listen to your mother, then," Eliot advised her. "What do _you_ want to do with your future?"

Kokoro didn't even bother thinking about her answer since she already knew it from the top of her head. That just told Hitomi that she was passionate about her career goals. "I want to help people. I've always been interested in self-defense, but it's not like I can start my own business…"

Hitomi had a quick thought about Kokoro's situation until she remembered what her father had told her ages ago.

"I think I can get you a job, if you're interested," Hitomi told her. "My father runs a dojo and he's been looking for a new instructor for ages. I can try and get you the job, if you'd like?"

"R-Really? You'd do that?!... Thank you so much!" Kokoro bowed. She then grabbed another tissue to wipe away her now happy tears. Her expression then darkened. "Oh, who am I kidding? This is stupid. I could never be brave enough to face my mother…"

Hitomi frowned at Kokoro's sudden negativity. "You need to understand that it's your life. Don't be afraid to do something just to please someone else. If your mother really loved you, then she would easily understand."

"Y-You're right…" the waitress sniffled. "I think I'll tell her tonight - after when I close the diner, of course. Besides, if I get this new job from your dad, then I can have two jobs. I'll even be able to pay more bills at home now since Johnny gave me a raise."

Leifang looked as though her eyeballs had popped out of their sockets. "What did you just say?"

"I said Johnny gave me a raise. It happened yesterday when he saw me cleaning the tables."

"What the hell?!" Leifang practically shouted. Hitomi knew she was angry due to a random vein appearing on her forehead. "I have been working double shifts _and_ I have been working twice as hard lately. You clean one table and Johnny just decides to give you a raise? Are you kidding me?!"

"I-I'm sorry… Maybe you can ask Johnny for a raise, too? I'm sure he would give it to you," Kokoro replied.

Leifang noticed how she was overreacting. She sighed and relaxed her shoulders. "No, it's fine. I'm sorry for yelling… I've just been really stressed lately."

Kokoro smiled at her co-worker. "It's fine, I get it. Anyway, I better put these dishes away," she said, referring to Hitomi and Eliot's empty plates.

"I'll help you," Leifang offered. "Besides, I want to show you the scentless detergent I bought for Mila!"

Kokoro was dumbfounded. "Wait... Those actually exist?"

"Yep!"

Once Kokoro and Leifang headed to the back room, Hitomi could see Ayane in the background once again. She was still texting, presumably, Kasumi. The teenager looked as though she was going to snap soon…

The doorbell of the diner rang once more and Hitomi was surprised to see Marie Rose this time. She was in her usual lolita outfit, but this time carried a woven basket with her. She proceeded to make her way to the front counter but stopped in her tracks once she saw Eliot. At that moment, he was drinking from his glass. With a mischievous grin, the servant headed over to where he was seated.

"Do you like milk, too?" She asked.

In what seemed to be a moment of surprise for Eliot, he spat out the milk and began to choke. He tried his best to gasp for air, but seemed to fail miserably. Luckily for him, Marie Rose, who was standing next to him, gently patted his back so he could breathe again. When Eliot's breathing finally turned back to normal, Marie Rose smiled at him.

"You're so cute, Eliot."

Eliot couldn't form any words at that moment. He was too speechless at what had just happened. Hitomi couldn't help but note how he resembled a tomato now. However, the redness on his face instantly disappeared when Ayane stormed past.

"Stupid Kasumi and her rudeness!" she spat bitterly. "No one stands me up and makes a fool out of me!"

Hitomi cringed as Ayane slammed the front door on her way out. She felt sorry for Kasumi right now and really hoped that she had a good excuse for standing Ayane up like that. However, something told Hitomi that something else may have contributed to Ayane's anger.

Eliot, on the other hand, was bothered by the fact that he now had milk all over his face, neck, and shirt. Being known as a neat freak, he found himself to be very uncomfortable right now. He quickly ran to the bathroom in order to wipe himself clean.

After watching Ayane leave with a confused expression on her face, Marie Rose made her way over to the front counter and rang the small bell. When Kokoro appeared from the back room, she smiled once she saw the servant.

"Hi, Marie! I have the marble cake you ordered for Helena."

"Thank you very much," Marie replied, placing the cake inside the basket. "By the way, Lady Helena is expecting you to visit her tomorrow. She told me to tell you that she has some news to share… News that may change your life for the better."

Kokoro couldn't help but feel curious to know what Helena wanted to tell her. However, she knew she would have to wait until tomorrow to find out. Hopefully it would be good news and not the bad kind.

"Okay, I will visit her tomorrow. What time should I be there?"

"Noon would be ideal," Marie answered. "Very well, I need to continue my duties. Thank you, again."

When the young servant had disappeared, another person suddenly made their entrance. This time it was Kasumi. She looked really worried. Her face slightly brightened, though, when she saw Hitomi.

"Hitomi... Have you seen Ayane, by any chance?" she asked the detective.

Hitomi frowned at the younger woman. "Yeah. You only missed her by a couple of minutes. She seemed to be pretty mad when you stood her up."

"It's not what you think. This is just a terrible misunderstanding... I better go and find her," she said, making her way out of the diner. "Thank you for your time."

"No problem!"

Hitomi couldn't help but smile at Kokoro who was now happy. She hummed a familiar tune as she gathered some of the menus and placed them on each table. Once when she made her way over to Hitomi's booth, she smiled at the detective.

"This is the second time you've helped me. Thank you so much… I'm so determined to talk to my mother tonight and finally stand up to her," she said. "Starting tonight, I'm going to be in charge of my life. No one else. I honestly can't believe I didn't do this sooner."

All Hitomi could do at that moment was smile at the girl. She was happy that she finally had the motivation to change her life for the better. And with the possibility of a new job for Kokoro, things just seemed to be getting better for the young waitress.

* * *

After her shift at the police station, Hitomi arrived at her apartment around 9pm. She noted that Rig wasn't inside his room since there was no loud music blaring from his stereo for once. When she finally settled down and ate her dinner, the detective decided now was the perfect time to give her father a phone call and tell him about Kokoro.

"Hey, Hitomi," his voice answered. He sounded tired. "How is everything going?"

"It's going really well," she replied. "The apartment is amazing and my job is everything I could have hoped for."

"That's great news."

"By the way…" Hitomi started. "Do you remember when you mentioned wanting to find a new karate instructor ages ago?"

"Yeah. You won't believe this, but I'm _still_ looking for one. It's ridiculous."

"That's great because... well... a friend of mine is really interested in the job. She's very passionate about self defense and I feel like she would be a great influence for the younger children."

"Say no more," his voice chuckled from the other side. "Tell her tomorrow to meet me at the dojo whenever she can. I'll give her the job, if that's what you want."

"Really?!" Hitomi beamed. "That would be great, Dad. Thank you so much!"

"No problem, kiddo. Anyway, I better get going and lock the dojo for the night. The students decided to stick around for a little longer today."

"Okay, I'll let you go. Good night."

* * *

Hitomi ended up having a good night's sleep after talking to her father. She was happy to be of help to Kokoro and she decided to visit the diner later in order to inform her about already having the job. As the karateka sat down to have her breakfast, she received a phone call from Gen Fu. Knowing that it was probably work related, she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hitomi," Gen Fu's voice spoke calmly on the other side. "I need you to go to the diner and meet Eliot. I've already told him to go there."

Before Hitomi could respond, Gen Fu had already hung up on her. Feeling more curious than ever, Hitomi headed to the diner after finishing her breakfast.

* * *

Concern was written all over Hitomi's face when she saw a number of people scattered outside the diner. Once when she made her way through the crowd, the detective was shocked to see yellow police tape covering the area. Hitomi instantly hurried over to the security man and showed him her detective badge. He allowed her to access the scene and she made her way inside the diner. What Hitomi saw next was truly too horrifying for her own eyes.

There, dangling in front of her from the ceiling, was a lifeless body. Apart from the thick rope hanging around their neck, there was an old potato sack covering their face. However, when Hitomi laid her eyes on the red maid dress, she instantly recognised who the person was...

It was Kokoro. She had committed suicide.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _hehehe_


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N** **:** _As of right now, this story is rated M for obvious reasons... I'm also happy to see that the previous chapter shocked a lot of you. I'm glad it had such a great response!_

 _Also, this chapter is different compared to the rest. It's more of an investigation chapter, so all the clues that Hitomi and Eliot stumble upon will be in **bold** text._

 **Disclaimer** **:** _All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 8**

Hitomi stood frozen in the middle of the diner. All she could do right now was gaze at Kokoro's lifeless body in shock. After their long chat about her mother yesterday, Hitomi thought that Kokoro had planned to change her life for the better. But now that very same girl was hanging from the ceiling.

"Th… This isn't h-happening…"

Hitomi flinched when a masculine hand wrapped itself over her wrist. Looking up at the mysterious person, she saw that it was Eliot. Like her, Eliot also had a grim look on his face.

"I spoke to Johnny outside before. He… He was the one who found Kokoro's body..."

It took Hitomi a while to form any words… "I… I don't understand how this could've happened… She was so happy when we last saw her, Eliot… Why would she do something like this?"

"Well, judging from her obvious suicide, it seems like she was pretending to be happy yesterday," Eliot told her.

The female detective was still in shock. She truly believed that Kokoro was happy yesterday afternoon. If she had known that Kokoro was planning to go to extreme lengths that night, then Hitomi definitely would have tried her best to stop her. The potato sack covering her head also made Hitomi feel even more grief than before. She must have been ashamed of her actions.

"We both know that Kokoro was an emotional girl," Eliot's voice spoke. "Maybe she convinced herself later that her mother would be angry with her. Perhaps the thought scared her."

Eliot had a point.

"She was also very insecure... Even in high school," Hitomi replied.

"But still… How could a young woman just end her life like that?... She must have had a lot of troubles going on at home."

Hitomi couldn't stand to talk about Kokoro's suicide anymore. She decided to do something about it and finally investigate her body. The detective approached her lifeless body and stared at the potato sack covering her face. Hitomi was about to remove it, but decided not to right now as a sign of respect for Kokoro. Eliot, on the other hand, decided to read the new investigation report out loud for Hitomi to hear.

 **INVESTIGATION REPORT** **: "The victim is Kokoro. Age: 19. Her body was discovered at 6:03am inside Johnny's Diner. The cause of death was suicide by hanging."**

Hitomi shuddered as Eliot read the investigation report. They were the only two living people inside the diner right now. The female detective quickly looked through the window and saw that the security man was trying to control the growing crowd outside. Shaking her head with frustration, she turned her concentration back to the scene. Now that she took a proper look at the scene, something didn't seem right…

"Why is the diner so messy?" Hitomi asked. She headed over to a **pile of napkins on the floor** and took a photograph of it. She did the same to **a pair of salt and pepper shakers that were also on the ground**.

"I didn't really think much of it," Eliot shrugged. "I just assumed that she was having second thoughts and maybe trashed the place due to frustration."

"I took some photos anyway. They might be useful."

Eliot formed a small smile in order to show his appreciation. He then decided to share his own information. "I placed her backpack on the front counter. It was near her body… There wasn't anything important inside; just some music notes and a few pencils."

Hitomi checked Kokoro's bag and knew that Eliot was right. She took a photograph of it as well. She then made sure to inspect the whole room thoroughly in order to find any other clues Kokoro may have left behind. Soon enough, something peculiar caught her eye.

"There is a **bloodstain on the doorknob** ," she said, taking another photograph. "But why would there be blood if Kokoro hung herself?... Did you find any blood on her body, Eliot?"

"Nope. I just checked for any bruises as well," Eliot told her. "Her body looks completely normal... But maybe you should check the back room, just in case. The back door might have blood on it as well."

"Alright."

With the camera in her trembling hands, Hitomi made her way over to the back room. She had never been in here before. It just looked like a normal spare room. A few boxes filled with condiments were scattered around the room, as well as some white potatoes lying on the ground. But what had caught Hitomi's attention were the dishes. There was a long pile of unwashed plates next to the sink. **There was also a frying pan on the other side**. It was squeaky clean. The detective thought it was suspicious that Kokoro would clean only one item and then kill herself afterwards.

After taking a photograph of the frying pan, Hitomi hurried over to the back door. She was glad to find no blood on the knob, but she was surprised to see that it was locked. Nevertheless, she took another photo. If she and Eliot were to gather all the clues, then maybe they would be able to figure out why she committed suicide. On her way out, Hitomi couldn't help but stop again since she could smell **a strong stench of blood** nearby. She looked around for what could cause the smell, but there was nothing.

After taking another look at the room, Hitomi declared that nothing else seemed to be suspicious. She made her way over to Eliot once more and saw that he had finished inspecting Kokoro's body.

"I checked her body again and I can confirm that there were **no bruises** ," he told her. "Since she's hanging from the ceiling, I haven't been able to reach the potato sack covering her head."

"That's okay," Hitomi said. "Anyway, I checked the back room and there was no blood there. But… the door was locked."

"Well, wouldn't you want to lock the door if you were going to kill yourself?"

"I guess so, but it doesn't explain the bl…" Hitomi couldn't help but trail off as she saw something lightly dripping on Eliot's shoulder. "What is that…?"

Feeling more confused than ever, Eliot turned to look at his shoulder and his eyes immediately widened with fear. He slowly looked up at Kokoro's body and let out a silent scream as he noticed that there was a slight amount of blood leaking from the potato sack.

"We need to put her body on the floor and inspect it properly," Hitomi said.

* * *

After calling the security guard for help, Kokoro's body was soon on the floor. When he left the diner to take care of the crowd outside, Hitomi and Eliot were left alone with the body once again. They couldn't help but stare at the potato sack with curiosity.

"You can take the potato sack off her head if you want…" Eliot gulped.

"Uh, no, that's okay…" Hitomi quivered. "Be my guest…"

Both detectives looked at each other and then back at the body. They were both too afraid to admit that they were scared. Eliot then sighed and decided to take the potato sack off Kokoro's head since it would be a manly thing to do. He squirmed at what he saw…

 **Kokoro's pale face was terribly bruised**. Patches of purple were clearly visible near her nose and **there were a few lumps forming near her temples**. A trail of blood could be seen dripping near her ear.

Hitomi inspected the bumps on Kokoro's temples. **It looked as though she was hit with something small and possibly of a cylindric shape**. The bruises on her face, however, made Hitomi believe that **she was attacked with another weapon**.

"I think it's clear **this wasn't a suicide** …" Eliot said with anger. " _It was just made to look that way_."

Hitomi was also angry. It was clear that Kokoro was murdered, but she wondered why the murderer would make it look like a suicide. She was more upset about the fact that Kokoro was murdered on the night when she finally decided to change her life. The thought of being afraid and alone in the diner made Hitomi feel emotional.

"The major clues we have so far are the bloodstain on the front doorknob, the messy diner, the locked doors, and the injury to Kokoro's head," Hitomi said. "Now we just need the murder weapon."

"Do you think the murder weapon might be around here somewhere?" Eliot asked. "I mean, Rolande's murderer left the dumbbell right at the scene… We might come across something."

Once again, Eliot had a point. She followed him over to the back room where he began to inspect the cardboard boxes. Just as Hitomi had confirmed before, the boxes only contained extra condiments. Eliot then began to sniff the air around him. It seemed as though he could also smell the strange stench. All Hitomi could do was stare at the British man when he finally came to a stop next to the clean frying pan. He quickly took a sniff at it and showed it to Hitomi.

"This smells a lot like blood," he told her. "It's also oddly suspicious that this is the only item that's clean."

"I thought the same thing," Hitomi replied. She then took a closer look at the sink. Only a sponge and the **bottle of detergent** were inside. That's when her eyes widened.

"The scentless detergent!" she said, grabbing the bottle. "The murderer probably thought that they would be able to wash the blood away from the frying pan, as well as the scent… But what they _didn't_ know is that the detergent doesn't take away the smell."

"So basically… we all thought that the liquid had no scent, but it turns out that it _also_ doesn't take away the previous scent."

"Exactly," Hitomi answered. " **This is definitely the weapon that was used to beat Kokoro to death**. However, it doesn't explain the different weapon that clearly caused her head to bleed."

Eliot and Hitomi headed out of the back room with the frying pan. They then made a quick stop to take a glimpse at Kokoro's corpse once more. Hitomi had a blank expression on her face. She didn't know what she was feeling at this point, but it definitely wasn't good.

' _We will find out who did this to you, Kokoro… I swear on my life.'_

* * *

When Hitomi and Eliot exited the diner, they made sure to inform the security guard of their findings. Afterwards, they approached Johnny who was standing close by. He was shivering and had a tense expression on his chubby face.

"Johnny," Hitomi addressed the man. "You told Eliot that you were the one who found the body… What happened, exactly?"

The middle aged man took a gulp before answering. "You see… I was supposed to take over Mila's shift this morning since she took over mine yesterday. The diner opens at 6am sharp, and when I got there, I saw something through the window. I used my key because **the door was locked** and I headed inside. That's when I saw the body… It was awful."

"What time would you say you found the body?" Eliot asked.

"Around 6… Maybe 6:03am. I was running a few minutes late, but not that much."

"And what time does the diner close?" Hitomi asked. This answer was essential in order to figure out what time Kokoro was murdered.

"The diner always closes at 11pm," Johnny answered.

Hitomi looked at Eliot. The new information they had just gained was really useful. "So basically, Kokoro was murdered between 11pm and 6am."

"Wait… _murdered_?!" Johnny freaked out. His face had lost all colour at that point. "I thought she committed suicide!"

"From the clues we've gathered, this is officially a murder investigation," Eliot told him. He then turned to Hitomi. "We should go to Kokoro's home and speak to her mother. She's probably worried about her teenage daughter not coming home last night."

Hitomi nodded and agreed to follow along with Eliot's plan. They then advised Johnny to close the diner for a few days in order for him to calm down. It was possible that his business would now suffer due to the murder. She hoped not since the diner was always such a friendly place and Johnny had worked so hard to make his business successful.

* * *

As it turns out, Kokoro and her mother, Miyako, lived quite a distance away from the diner. Hitomi noticed that this area seemed to be more quiet than the urban streets she was used to. After crossing a wooden bridge with Eliot, Hitomi couldn't help but gasp at the view. She was amazed by the Japanese themed architecture that surrounded the domain. They soon came across a large amount of stairs which led to a temple. Hitomi read the small wooden sign nearby which read ' _The Temple of the Dragon'_. The wooden sign was painted black and had the pattern of a gold dragon on the top right corner. A small part of her wondered what was inside the temple. But now was not the time.

As they continued walking, both Hitomi and Eliot noted the great amount of cherry blossom trees surrounding them. Despite the terrible circumstances involving Kokoro, she felt happy to be at such a peaceful environment.

Eventually, the two detectives came at a stop outside a small, wooden house. Hitomi gently knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer it. Soon enough, a middle aged woman with dark undereye circles answered the door. It looked as though she had been up all night. Once when Hitomi and Eliot presented their detective badges to her, she tried her best not to panic.

"Is this about Kokoro?" the woman asked, worriedly. "Where is she?! Where is my daughter?!"

Hitomi felt really bad about what she was about to say, but it had to be done. "I'm afraid your daughter was murdered last night… I'm really sorry."

Just as she had expected, Miyako fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. She began to wail with sorrow and banged the floor with her fist in anger. Hitomi and Eliot tried their best to help her to her feet and take her inside. Hitomi wasn't surprised to see that the inside of Miyako's home consisted of an oriental theme. **[1]**

An hour had passed when Miayko began to calm down. She still had many tears streaming down her cheeks, but at least she wasn't shouting at them in Japanese anymore.

"H-How could my precious Kokoro die?... She had many friends and a good education," Miyako said, wiping her swollen eyes with a tissue. "She was going to graduate from college and finally be a music teacher. She was going to make the family proud."

Hitomi felt a lump forming at the back of her throat. She felt guilty for Kokoro since she never had the chance to tell her mother how she truly felt. In respect, she decided to not tell Miyako about Kokoro's plans. After all, Hitomi didn't want her to stress even more. She knew that Kokoro wouldn't want that for her mother.

The detective tried her best to hold her tears back as she listened to Miyako talk about Kokoro's life as a teenager.

"Did your daughter have any enemies?" Eliot asked with caution. He prepared his notebook in order to write some names down.

Miyako grabbed another tissue and lightly blew her nose before answering. "Not that I know of... but she was bullied by a girl throughout her high school years. I believe she always wore a purple bandanna… She also liked to talk about the female doctor at the hospital. I think Kokoro confided in her a little too much," Miyako informed them. "And then there is Helena Douglas… I never liked Kokoro hanging around that woman."

"Would you mind telling us why you didn't like Kokoro talking to Helena?" Hitomi asked.

"It has nothing to do with _herself_ , exactly…" Miyako trailed off. "But it doesn't matter. I refuse to talk about it."

"That's fair enough," Hitomi said, sharing a quick glance with Eliot. "Anyway, we better get going and investigate this case further. Thank you for your time, and I'm sorry for your loss."

As they left the crying Miyako alone to grieve in her home, Hitomi and Eliot made their way outside and calculated their suspects for the new murder case.

"According to Miyako, we have Ayane, Lisa, and Helena as suspects…" Hitomi recalled.

"That's true," Eliot said. "Kokoro also mentioned a few days ago that Bass and Rig usually eat at the diner during her night shifts. I'm going to count them as suspects, too."

"Good idea. Also, Brad clearly fancied Kokoro and was upset when she hit his hand, so he should be a suspect as well."

Eliot looked unsure. "I know he's annoying, but he's the last guy on the planet who I think would murder someone."

"Maybe so, but I would like to check his alibi anyway."

"Alright, fine," Eliot sighed. "In that case, Leifang would be a suspect, too, since she was obviously angry at the fact that Kokoro earned a raise before her."

"I guess that's true," Hitomi said, sounding unsure. She felt bad adding her best friend to the list, but she knew it had to be done. "Who should we question first?"

It didn't take Eliot long to come up with an answer.

"I want to talk to Helena. She was expecting Kokoro to visit her home today, so that would be a good place to start. Plus, she had some news she wanted to share with Kokoro… Maybe it might help with the case a little."

Hitomi sighed as she entered the police car with Eliot. "I hope you're right. We need all the help we can get."

And so, the young pair made their way over to the Douglas residence. Hitomi honestly hoped that they would find a few more clues to this investigation. After all, she swore to find Kokoro's murderer. It was now her priority to find a sense of justice for the deceased teenager.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. If you want, tell me what you think in the reviews._

 _..._

 **INVESTIGATION PROCESS #2**

 **Time of murder:** Between 11pm and 6am

 **Place of murder:** Inside Johnny's Diner

 **Murder Weapon:** Frying pan, [unidentified cylindric object]

 **Who found the body:** Johnny

...

 **INVESTIGATION #2 SUSPECTS**

 **Ayane : [Suspect because of her past conflict with Kokoro]**

 **Lisa Hamilton : [Suspect because she was oddly close to Kokoro]**

 **Helena Douglas : [Suspect because of Miyako's personal reasons]**

 **Bass Armstrong : [Suspect because he is a regular customer at night]**

 **Rig : ****[Suspect because he is a regular customer at night]**

 **Brad Wong : [Suspect because of his conflict with Kokoro]**

 **Leifang : [Suspect because of her tempered actions]**

 **...**

 **INVESTIGATION #2 CLUES**

 **~ The diner is messy** \- signs of struggle.

 **~ Bloodstain on the doorknob** \- The other doorknob at the back room is clean. The murderer must have washed their hands before leaving.

 **~ Frying pan** \- The only culinary item to be squeaky clean. There are a few dents underneath. Confirmed to be one of the murder weapon(s).

 **~ Kokoro's face is terribly bruised** \- there are no marks on her body.

 **~ Facial injuries** \- It looks as though she was hit with something small and possibly of a cylindric shape... This is another murder weapon that hasn't been identified.

 **~ Scentless detergent** \- Purchased by Leifang. Cleans the bloodied mess on the frying pan but doesn't take away the scent.

 **~ Kokoro's backpack** \- only music notes and pencils were found inside. Where are her keys to lock the diner?

 **...**

 **[1] -** I felt awful saying that Miyako fell down like a sack of potatoes since Kokoro's head was covered with a potato sack.

 **...**

 **Explanation:** The reason why I got rid of Kokoro is because her main role in the story was to make Hitomi want to become a detective (with the help of Leifang, of course). Since that happened in the prologue, I had no other plans for her and decided to cut her out altogether. Her "fake suicide" is unique and I hoped that it would be a shock to everyone since she's so young and likeable. I felt there was nothing to develop in terms of her personality, and I wanted her death to give the message that you should do whatever you want with no regrets because you never know when your life will come to an end.


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N** **:** _I'm so sorry for the long wait. I've recently moved houses and had a bunch of assignments to complete. The good news is that I've officially settled in and have holidays for the next 3 months. This will give me heaps of time to continue (and hopefully finish) this story._

 **Disclaimer** **:** _All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 9**

 _Kokoro smiled politely as her latest customer finished their spaghetti and turned in their plate to her. They even gave her a generous tip, which she greatly appreciated._

 _"Have a good night!" she beamed as they left the diner._

 _Taking a quick look at the clock, Kokoro noticed that it was now 10:52pm. She suddenly felt anxious. This afternoon, the teenager was more prepared than ever to tell her mother how she truly felt about her college classes. Now, she felt terrified, but she knew it needed to be done. She was tired of living her mother's dream._

 _The waitress was currently cleaning down the tables when a tall figure entered the diner. She stopped what she was doing and greeted the customer._

 _"Hello, Bass," she smiled. She then noticed something different. "Where is Rig? He's usually with you at this time."_

 _Bass shrugged. "I have no idea. He said he had to do something, but he wouldn't tell me what."_

 _"Hm, that sounds odd," Kokoro voiced her thoughts. "I also apologise if you want to order anything, but I'm afraid I can't serve you. I'm about to close the diner. Plus, my mother would be worried if I arrived home late."_

 _There was a huge part of her that wanted to serve Bass, but she knew it was no use. She was only creating distractions because of her fear of conflict. However, she knew she would get into trouble if she arrived home late._

 _"Argh… That's okay," Bass said, although he seemed to be annoyed. Kokoro noted how the atmosphere had become more eerie._

 _Bass remained quiet for a short moment before coming to a decision. "I'll just go home, then."_

 _"A-Alright... Sorry, again!"_

 _When Bass left, Kokoro resumed her cleaning duties. She was halfway through the same table when the doorbell rang once more. She stopped her duties for a second time and approached the customer._

 _"I'm sorry, but we're clos-"_

 _Kokoro was cut off by being hit with a peculiar object. She flinched as she was repeatedly hit and begged her attacker to stop._

 _"Stop! P-Please…"_

 _However, her words had no avail as she was then pushed against the table. She fell to the ground in an instant and shook in fear as some napkins fell around her. With tearful eyes, she looked up at her attacker. They were looking down at her with a dark glint in their eyes._

 _Kokoro decided to take a chance and hurried over to the back room. She grabbed the first thing she saw - a frying pan - and decided to use it for self defense. She then headed back to the front room with trembling hands and approached her attacker with caution._

 _"S-Stay back, or… Or I'll hit y-"_

 _Unfortunately for Kokoro, her plan had failed since the attacker quickly lunged at the teenager and snatched the frying pan out of her hands._

 _It was at that moment when Kokoro took her last breath._

* * *

The car ride to the Douglas residence was awfully quiet. The death of Kokoro had hit both Hitomi and Eliot really hard. It was difficult to believe that someone so young and innocent could have their life unfairly taken away from them.

When they made it to their destination, Hitomi exited the car and shut the door with a sigh. She wasn't prepared to face Helena. Knowing how overdramatic the opera singer could be, Hitomi was afraid to see her reaction towards Kokoro's death. When she rang the doorbell, both detectives were soon met with the youthful face belonging to Marie Rose.

"Oh, hello, detectives," she greeted. "I thought you two were Kokoro… How may I help you?"

"It's important, Marie," Eliot said, showing her his badge. "May we come in and see Helena?"

Marie Rose nodded. "Yes, of course. Please come in."

The young servant led the two detectives over to a small room down the hallway. The small area consisted of numerous bookshelves fitted against the walls. There were many different figurines, antiques, and books displayed upon them. Helena was seated in the middle of the room, currently keeping herself warm in front of the fireplace. When she turned around, her smile faded.

"Oh… I was expecting Kokoro," the French woman admitted. "But I suppose I have some time to talk with you both… Is this regarding the robbery which happened here?"

"Unfortunately, no," Hitomi answered. "This is about Kokoro."

The karateka looked over at Eliot in the hopes that he would finish her sentence. He sighed in defeat and turned to Helena with a serious expression. "Kokoro was murdered at the diner last night."

The opera singer dropped the book she was holding and covered her mouth. She was clearly surprised by the news.

"H-How could this be?!" she asked them. "Everyone liked her. Who would do such an unforgivable act?!"

"We don't know but we plan to find out," Hitomi answered. "Speaking of which, Eliot and I would like to know where you were last night around 11pm?"

"Me? Oh, that's easy," Helena said with a wave of her hand. "I was knitting in this room, actually, with Marie Rose."

"It's true," Marie Rose commented, pointing at the coffee table next to Helena. On the table were four knitting needles as well as some green yarn.

Hitomi made her way over to Helena who seemed to be troubled by the news. She picked her book off the floor and handed it over to the opera singer. She took the book with a sad smile.

"Thank you for taking the time to visit me," Helena told her. "I still cannot believe she is dead… What a shame…"

"We know you were expecting Kokoro to visit you today," Eliot said. "Apparently you had some news to tell her. Do you mind telling us what that news is? It might help us out with the case."

Helena looked at the young man with a frown. "I don't think this information will help your investigation, but I may as well tell someone…" She then took a deep breath. "As it turns out… Kokoro is apparently my half sister."

Hitomi was shocked. In a way, it now explained why Helena had a great liking to the young waitress. It also explained why Miyako was wary of Helena conversing with her daughter.

"Oh wow, that's very unexpected…" Hitomi replied.

"I know. I even had some other news that could have changed her life," Helena said. "My father died on a trip to France a few months ago. I only received his will a few weeks ago. Apparently he had left half of his money to me, and the other half to Kokoro. That's how I found out we were related…"

"So that's the news that could have changed her life…" Hitomi said, finally putting the pieces together. "With all that new money in her pocket, Kokoro would have been able to pay her bills as well as her college fees."

Hitomi couldn't help but feel even more terrible about Kokoro's death now. The young woman's life not only would have changed if she stood up to her mother, but her inheritance could have greatly helped with her financial struggles. Overall, it seemed like the waitress was out of luck.

Hitomi looked at Helena with a smile and placed her hand on her shoulder as a source of comfort.

"I'm sure Kokoro would have loved to find out you were her sister," she said warmly.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me," Helena replied. Her face then hardened. "I demand to find out who did this to my sister. I would say this was a personal attack against me, but no one except Marie and myself knew that we were related… And Marie was with me for a majority of the night, so I know it wasn't her…"

Eliot nodded in understanding as he looked at Helena directly in the eyes. "We will find out who did this to Kokoro. But for now, we have other suspects to question. Thank you for your time."

"It is no problem," Helena replied. She then turned to Marie. "Please show them out, Marie. When you come back, we can continue knitting."

"Of course, Lady Helena."

After being escorted outside by the young servant, Hitomi and Eliot made their way back to the main part of town. Once when they passed the diner, Hitomi was grateful that Johnny had listened to her advice. The diner was still closed, and hopefully it would be like that for a few days. There was no way anyone in the world would even think to eat at a diner on the same day someone was murdered.

As Eliot continued driving, Hitomi squinted at something in the distance. She thought she saw something purple… A small smile appeared on the karateka's face when she realised it was Ayane. She was currently standing against a cage, seemingly looking at the diner from afar. Kasumi was standing next to her.

"Eliot, park the car over here…" she said, pointing to the curb ahead.

Eliot did as he was told and parked the car on the side of the road. Hitomi quickly exited the car and made her way over to the two sisters. After making sure that the car was locked, the British man followed Hitomi.

"What are you two doing?" Hitomi asked them.

"We're just looking at all the people gathering outside the diner," Kasumi said with a frown. "I can't believe Kokoro was murdered…"

"Yeah, about that…" the German woman trailed off, now making eye contact with Ayane. "Where were you last night, Ayane? Around 11pm?"

Ayane rolled her eyes in response. "I know you probably think that I murdered Kokoro, given my history with her… But I didn't do it. I was at the Temple of the Dragon with Kasumi."

"She's right," Kasumi confirmed. "We were there for a few hours… We had a big argument about me not arriving at the diner on time, but we finally reconciled."

"That's great news!" Eliot cheered, crossing Ayane's name off the suspect list. He then looked at the violet haired teen and noticed that she was looking at him weirdly. "I… I mean… yeah, one less suspect. Yay."

Ayane rolled her eyes at Eliot. Hitomi couldn't help but giggle.

"If you're looking for a suspect, then I suggest you should speak to that man over there," Kasumi said, pointing at someone a few feet away. Hitomi turned around to see that she was referring to Brad Wong. "I've seen him flirt with Kokoro a few times… She didn't seem to reciprocate his feelings."

"That sounds like a good idea," Hitomi agreed. "Alright, thank you for confirming your alibis with us."

Before giving a chance for Kasumi and Ayane to respond, both detectives immediately ran over to Brad. The middle aged man was standing next to a wall of wrestling posters outside the gym. Other than his usual tipsy behaviour, he seemed to be distracted.

"Brad? Are you okay?" Eliot asked his roommate.

The British man was slightly frustrated when Brad ignored him. He then placed his hand on the drunk man's shoulder and shook it lightly. "Hey. You hear me? What's wrong, Brad?"

Brad looked at Eliot for a quick second before freaking out. "It… It was my fault."

"Are you admitting to the crime of murdering Kokoro?" Hitomi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What?..." Brad asked. "No! I didn't murder that girl. What I mean is... I could have prevented the murder from happening…"

"What on earth are you talking about this time?!" Eliot asked. He was clearly frustrated.

"I was standing right at this very spot last night!" Brad told Eliot. "I don't remember much, but I saw a shadowy figure entering the diner. Then the figure left and then it came back, I think… I can't be completely sure, though, since I was drunk."

"Was the first shadowy figure the same as the second one, or were they two completely different people?" Hitomi asked.

"I don't know," Brad shrugged at the German woman. "Everything was really blurry… But what I do know is that **both figures were tall**."

Hitomi and Eliot shared a look. There was a possibility that Brad's account could help them solve this case. It was easier for them to talk about the case now as well since Brad began to wander off in the background.

"Okay, so Brad said that the suspect was tall," Hitomi noted. "On our suspect list for this case, that only includes Rig and Bass. The other suspects have either already had their alibis confirmed, or they are too short to fit the description."

"I would add Lisa to the tall list," Eliot added. "She's taller than most women around here."

Hitomi frowned. She had never met Lisa before so she didn't know what she looked like, but it seemed as though she was now one of the biggest suspects.

Eliot then looked at his watch before turning to his partner once more. "Our shift is about to end, so I think we should split our suspects."

"That sounds like a good idea," Hitomi agreed.

"Okay, great. I can question Lisa since I usually pass by the hospital on my way home."

"And Rig lives next door to me, so I can approach him at any time," Hitomi concluded.

Eliot and Hitomi decided to continue their conversation about the case as they made their way to the car once more.

"I'll drive you home," Eliot offered as he applied his seat belt. "The hospital is only a few blocks away from your apartment."

* * *

Hitomi thanked Eliot when she exited the police car for the second time today. She looked at her apartment building with a sigh before stepping inside. As she made her way down the narrow hallway, Hitomi felt a huge relief when she heard some quiet music seeping through the paper thin walls. She headed over to Rig's room and knocked on the wooden door.

It didn't take long for Rig to answer the door. A smile appeared on his face when he saw that it was Hitomi.

"Oh, hey. Nice to see you stopping by… Come in," he greeted, opening the door completely.

Hitomi smiled at the mysterious man as she stepped inside his home. She made her way over to the couch and took a seat. Rig soon joined her after grabbing two glasses of water.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, handing her a glass.

"Sort of…" Hitomi said, taking a small sip. "Kokoro was murdered last night."

Rig's eyes widened slightly. "That Japanese girl at the diner? That's a shame…" he said. "... I don't understand what this has to do with me, though."

Hitomi couldn't help but arch a brow at Rig's tone. Just like Rolande's investigation, something didn't seem right. Anyway, she continued. "Oh, uh, Bass mentioned the other day that you both usually hang out at the diner during most nights… Where were you last night, exactly?"

The detective noted how Rig suddenly gripped his glass cup tighter. She tried her best to focus on his face instead. It seemed like he was struggling to come up with an answer. "… I was here."

"That's funny, because I don't think you were," Hitomi argued. "I don't remember hearing any music last night. I know this because everything was really quiet when I tried to call my father."

The look on Rig's face suddenly changed. His expression seemed to hint danger. It was hard for Hitomi to believe that this was the same man who was just talking to her kindly a few moments ago.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?!" he snapped. Hitomi's eyes widened at his choice of words. "I have done nothing wrong. Ever since I arrived at this stupid town, people have been judging me because I apparently look like a bad guy. I can't say I'm not disappointed, though… I never expected you to judge me, too."

Hitomi stood up in defense. She really wanted to clear the air. "Rig, I'm sorry, but… you have to admit it sounds strange that you would lie about being here when-"

"Get the hell out of my room," he cut her off.

"Wh-what?"

"I SAID GET OUT!" he shouted, pointing at the door.

Hitomi's expression changed. She now glared at the man standing in front of her. The karateka was honestly surprised by his rude behaviour. With a great amount of anger clouding her mind, Hitomi placed her glass of water onto the coffee table before storming out of his room. Once when she was in the hallway, Rig shut the door on her face. With a heavy grunt, the detective made her way over to her own room and slammed her own door shut, too.

After hanging her coat on the clothes rack, Hitomi headed over to the couch and decided to watch some television in order to take her mind off things and calm down. After a short while of channel surfing, Hitomi finally decided to watch some cartoons. She wasn't really into them anymore, but there was no other channel that looked as appealing right now.

Hitomi had only begun to become invested with the cartoon when her phone suddenly rang. The contact ID told her that it was Eliot. Knowing that his call was possibly related to Kokoro's murder case, Hitomi turned the television off and answered the phone.

"Hey, Eliot. Did you find any information?"

"Not really," he admitted. "I just spoke to Lisa and she told me that she was with Tina at the time of the murder. I just need to confirm that with her, but I'll do that tomorrow since it's getting late… How did the interview with Rig go?"

"It went terribly," Hitomi replied. "He lied to me about his whereabouts and then got awfully defensive about it… He's definitely suspicious."

"You're right, that is suspicious."

"He also kicked me out of his room," Hitomi added. There was a pause from Eliot. She wasn't sure if their call had been disconnected. "... Eliot? Hello?"

"No, I'm still here," he told her. "But that was really rude of him. Would you like me to talk to him? Because I can."

If there was anything Hitomi admired about Eliot, it was definitely his determination to defend women. Although he usually gave mixed signals to certain women, Hitomi couldn't help but appreciate his kindness.

"No, that's okay. I can defend myself," she giggled. "Anyway, I better go. I still have dinner to make."

"Okay, that's cool," the British man replied. "I'll meet you tomorrow at the police station."

"That sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow."

After hanging up, Hitomi attempted to make dinner but she failed due to her bad mood still lingering around. For some reason, she always made so many mistakes whenever she was distracted. Her distraction right now was Rig and his sudden change of behaviour towards her. Even though she was angry, there was a part of her that was worried for him as well.

Even though she knew everyone should be deemed innocent until proven guilty, Hitomi couldn't help but delve into her growing suspicions of Rig. It was possible that she was living in the same apartment with a murderer.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** Thanks for reading!

 _..._

 **INVESTIGATION PROCESS #2**

 **Time of murder:** Between 11pm and 6am

 **Place of murder:** Inside Johnny's Diner

 **Murder Weapon:** Frying pan, [unidentified cylindric object]

 **Who found the body:** Johnny

...

 **INVESTIGATION #2 SUSPECTS (UPDATED)**

 **Ayane : [Suspect because of her past conflict with Kokoro] **She was at the Temple of the Dragon with Kasumi ( _cleared by Kasumi_ )

 **Lisa Hamilton : [Suspect because she was oddly close to Kokoro] **Claims she was with Tina. Needs to be confirmed.

 **Helena Douglas : [Suspect because of Miyako's personal reasons] **She was knitting with Marie Rose at her Lorelei estate ( _cleared by Marie Rose_ )

 **Bass Armstrong : [Suspect because he is a regular customer at night]**

 **Rig : ****[Suspect because he is a regular customer at night]** Claims he was in his apartment at the time. No alibi.

 **Brad Wong : [Suspect because of his conflict with Kokoro] **Says he was standing in front of the gym when he saw two different figures enter the diner. No alibi.

 **Leifang : [Suspect because of her tempered actions]**

 **...**

 **INVESTIGATION #2 CLUES (UPDATED)**

 **~ The diner is messy** \- signs of struggle.

 **~ Bloodstain on the doorknob** \- The other doorknob at the back room is clean. The murderer must have washed their hands before leaving.

 **~ Frying pan** \- The only culinary item to be squeaky clean. There are a few dents underneath. Confirmed to be one of the murder weapon(s).

 **~ Kokoro's face is terribly bruised** \- there are no marks on her body.

 **~ Facial injuries** \- It looks as though she was hit with something small and possibly of a cylindric shape... This is another murder weapon that hasn't been identified.

 **~ Scentless detergent** \- Purchased by Leifang. Cleans the bloodied mess on the frying pan but doesn't take away the scent.

 **~ Kokoro's backpack** \- only music notes and pencils were found inside. Where are her keys to lock the diner?

 **~ Unidentified figure(s)** \- Brad witnessed a tall figure enter the diner, leave, and then re-enter. Was this one person or two separate people? Or was Brad drinking too much?


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N** **:** _I'm so sorry for updating so late! I really should try and post every two weeks again..._

 **Disclaimer** **:** _All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 10**

Hitomi woke up the next morning and fluttered her heavy eyes since her vision was blurry. She couldn't remember much until she laid her eyes on the half empty pizza box lying next to her. It made her recollect some of last night's events. As it turned out, Hitomi continued channel surfing after receiving her pizza from the delivery guy and eventually fell asleep on the couch.

The young karateka stretched her arms to the ceiling, hoping that her newest neck cramp would soon go away. She then headed over to the kitchen and yawned as she grabbed two eggs from the fridge. Since her mind was more clear compared to last night, she decided to make some bacon and eggs for breakfast.

After enjoying her perfectly cooked breakfast, Hitomi changed into her detective uniform and applied her pink headband on the top of her head. As she was putting her shoes on, a knock suddenly interrupted her actions. Hitomi turned her head to the door in wonder. Who on earth would be at her door at eight in the morning?

As she opened the door, Hitomi's blue eyes laid upon a very apologetic Rig. She immediately frowned at the sight of him.

"What do you want?"

"Look, I know you're angry," he started, "but I just want to apologise for what I said yesterday."

"Go on…" she urged, deepening her glare.

"I should have answered your questions properly since you were just doing your job… and I'm sorry for kicking you out."

Hitomi observed the man in front of her. From the way he was twiddling his thumbs and trying his best to act confident, she could tell he meant his apology.

"I forgive you," she replied. Her tone was civil.

"Thanks," he said, now revealing a smug smile. "So, can I come in?"

Hitomi stepped aside and allowed him to enter. "Sure, but I'm about to leave soon."

Rig headed over to the dining table and took a seat. Unsure of what to do, Hitomi followed and sat right across from him. He looked as though he had something else to say.

"I know it's not an excuse, but the reason I was so angry is because everyone just keeps judging me," he explained. "I'm still new around here, and I guess people are given the wrong impression by my face? My tattoos? My clothes?... I have no idea, but it's really annoying."

"I get how that can be annoying," Hitomi admitted. "But I wasn't judging you… I was only doing my job."

"And I get that now," Rig said with a sigh. "I only came here to change my life around and visit some family members. Instead, I get blamed for a couple of murders for people I barely even knew."

"Speaking of family..." Hitomi said, changing the subject. "You never told me you were related to Johnny!"

"Didn't I? It must have slipped my mind," he chuckled. "He's my dad's brother."

"Are you here to visit your dad, too? Or does he live somewhere else?" Hitomi asked.

"He lives in this city. I'm here to visit him, too."

"Oh, really? Where does he live?"

"Around," he answered.

Hitomi noticed that Rig's answers were suddenly short. It seemed as though he didn't like talking about his father. In order to avoid an uncomfortable moment, she decided to change the subject.

"So, how is your job at the bar going?"

"It's going really well," he answered. "I'm really popular with the ladies. But now that I mention it, you should pop around sometime. Maybe I can offer you my services."

"Don't even try to flirt with me, Rig. No matter what, you're still a suspect," she winked.

"Damn."

Hitomi giggled. This was the version of Rig she liked best. He seemed more calm and he was actually able to take a joke. She was still wary of his obvious lie about being at home on the night of Kokoro's murder, but she decided to spend her time on the other suspects for now. She didn't want to anger him again.

"Speaking of suspects... Do you know where Bass might be?" Hitomi asked Rig. "He was also a known customer during Kokoro's late night shifts. I need to question him, too."

"He's always at that wrestling coliseum place," Rig answered, crossing his arms. "Apparently he's training his daughter for some championship battle."

"Oh, that's right. I forgot all about Tina's championship…" Hitomi said, now recalling the events that happened in the diner a few days ago. "I'd better go there now and see if he's there."

"Alright. I'll catch you later, Hitomi," Rig replied, now making his way out of her room.

Hitomi smiled at Rig as he left. She then grabbed her keys from the coffee table and locked the door behind her. Hopefully Bass would be easier to find this time. The petrol in her car depended on it.

* * *

When Hitomi made her way inside the D.W.A Coliseum, she was relieved to find Bass. He was currently talking to Zack. From the looks of it, the flamboyant DJ was annoying the wrestler.

Bass was thankful when Hitomi arrived. Now he had something to pay attention to other than Zack who wouldn't shut up. However, his face fell when he noticed Hitomi was in her detective uniform. He wasn't in the mood to be questioned.

After excusing Zack, Hitomi proceeded to question to Bass.

"As you may or may not know, Kokoro was murdered two days ago in Johnny's diner," Hitomi told him. Before giving Bass a chance to react, Hitomi continued. "You and her both mentioned the other day that Rig, as well as yourself, usually visit the diner at night. So, Bass… May I ask where you were that night?"

"She… She died?" Bass asked in disbelief. "That's not right… I spoke to her that night at the diner. She was clearly alive."

Hitomi's eyes widened at Bass' account. "You were _there_ that night? What happened?"

"I went to the diner late without Rig since he said he had to do something else. When I arrived, the girl was preparing to close the diner, so I went home."

"Do you have any alibis?" Hitomi asked, desperately. "Tina? Zack? One of your wrestling bodyguards?... Anyone?"

"I have one alibi," Bass answered, "but she's dead now…"

Hitomi frowned. Bass was referring to Kokoro.

On the plus side, at least Brad's account was starting to make more sense now. Bass was clearly the first tall figure that left the diner. However, Hitomi wasn't sure if he was the same tall figure who entered the diner again, or if it was someone else.

"Unfortunately, without an alibi, you are still a suspect. The fact that this happened during Kokoro's late night shift makes you even more suspicious. Also, your physique makes you look strong enough to carry her to the ceiling and make her death look like a suicide."

Bass was at a loss for words. Hitomi had definitely had a point there.

"Wh-Wh… I'm being framed!" the man argued. "Why the hell would I kill Kokoro?! She made the best pork ribs!"

Hitomi couldn't help but roll her eyes at the man standing in front of her. Now was not the time to mention food. Their conversation was soon interrupted by Eliot. Hitomi was surprised to see him at the coliseum.

"Eliot, what are you doing here?" Hitomi asked her partner.

"I'm trying to find Tina," he answered. "Gen Fu told me that she might be here, so I came to check… I need to ask her some questions."

Bass had a look of disbelief on his face. "Don't tell me you think Tina is a suspect, too!"

"Actually, Mr. Armstrong, I'm here to ask your daughter whether she can confirm an alibi or not," Eliot chuckled. "Is she here right now?"

"You bet she is," Bass answered. He then turned around and cupped his hands around his mouth. "TINAAAAAAA!"

It wasn't long when Tina finally arrived. She ran over to Bass, Eliot, and Hitomi, and began to puff once she stopped. Beads of sweat were dripping down her forehead.

"What is it? I've been training really hard, like you said," Tina said to Bass, gasping for air afterwards.

"No, not that. You can take a five minute break for now," he told his daughter. "The blond kid wants to ask you some questions."

Eliot took a step forward and greeted Tina with a smile. "Lisa Hamilton informed me that she was with you on the night of Kokoro's murder. Can you confirm this?"

"Lisa?... I haven't seen her in weeks," Tina admitted. "I was with Mila at the gym. She was helping me train for the championship… She even brought her camcorder to record the match, if you want proof. She said something about filming for her photography class."

Hitomi looked at Eliot. "Why would Lisa lie about being with Tina on the night of the murder?"

Tina seemed to be angry by this. "I can't believe my own best friend would lie about me like that. She basically used me as an accessory to the crime!"

"Actually, that's… that's not the proper term," Eliot commented. Tina responded with a glare that shook the young man to his core.

"Alright, well, we should go back to the police station," Hitomi said, pushing Eliot towards the exit. She looked at Tina once more. "Good luck with the championship. You'll do great!"

"Thanks, Hitomi!"

* * *

When Hitomi and Eliot arrived at the police station, they headed inside and were met with the presence of Bayman. He was rummaging through the file cabinet. The female detective was still mad about his choice of words the other day, but she decided to let it go. She wasn't the type to hold a grudge. Besides, Bayman seemed to have forgotten all about the incident anyway. Either that, or he was the type to easily move on.

"Hey, Bayman. How is your case going?" Eliot asked.

"It's non-existent right now," Bayman uttered. His focus was still on the file cabinet. "Gen Fu has given me a bunch of other useless crimes to solve, so I've been more occupied than usual. It's going to be a while before I'm able to jump back onto the robbery case."

"That's a shame," Eliot replied. "If it makes you feel any better, Hitomi and I have been busy with our case, too."

"Like that's a surprise," Bayman muttered. He then smirked in triumph as he finally found his desired file. "Anyway, enough with the chit chat. I need to go."

Once when Bayman was out the door, Eliot looked at Hitomi with an 'at least I tried' look. When Hitomi first met Eliot, she knew that he was the type who would do whatever he could to try and get along with everyone. Unfortunately, he still had to learn that there will always be people he won't be able to get along with. She, too, had trouble accepting that not everyone would be able to get along with her.

"Come on, we should check Gen Fu's office and grab Rolande's investigation file again," Eliot said. "I think we should go through her case again."

When the pair made their way over to Gen Fu's office, Eliot gently knocked on the door. Curious to receive no answer from the old man, Eliot slowly opened the door and peeked inside.

The office was empty. There was also no sign of Gen Fu. The room had a messy atmosphere to it compared to when Hitomi was first in there a few weeks ago. There were stacks of paper on the desk, and there were a few files and pens on the floor. There was also a cold cup of coffee next to Gen Fu's computer.

Eliot began to rummage through the papers on Gen Fu's desk. As he did so, Hitomi wondered where the old man had gone to. It was possible that like Bayman, Gen Fu also had his own crimes to investigate. When Eliot finally found the file he was looking for, he handed it over to Hitomi and they headed over to the investigation room. They then began to investigate Rolande's murder case once more and decided to spend the remainder of their shift there.

* * *

It was around 4pm when Hitomi and Eliot finished their shift for the day. After exchanging their share of goodbyes, the pair went their separate ways. At first, Hitomi had planned to go straight home, but now she really felt like going to the gym. For the first time in what felt like forever, Hitomi was in the mood to train and keep up with her fitness.

Once when she made her way inside the gym, Hitomi noticed how there weren't that many people. This was good, in her eyes, since she would be able to go on any machine without having the need to wait for anyone to finish their turn. Hitomi made her way over to one of the treadmills in the cardio area and placed her towel on the handle. Her eyes wandered around the room once more until she spotted a familiar face.

Currently on the other side of the room was Mila. She was hanging around the punching bags. From what Hitomi had observed, it didn't look like Mila was giving any effort with her punches. Hitomi had a gut feeling that something was wrong, so she immediately headed over to the MMA fighter.

"Hey, Mila. How is your training session going?" Hitomi asked her with a smile.

Mila slowly turned to look at the female detective. Her eyes were watery. Before Hitomi knew it, Mila began to cry.

"Wh-What's wrong?" Hitomi asked, patting Mila's back. "Are you okay?"

"No. Nothing is okay…" Mila sobbed. "Kokoro is dead, the diner is currently out of business, and there is a murderer lurking among us…"

"It's okay," Hitomi hushed, leading the photography student over to some benches. They both sat down. "Eliot and I are doing our best to find the killer. We'll find out who did this soon enough."

"I-I hope so," Mila sniffled. "I considered Kokoro to be a good friend… I can't believe someone could do this to her…"

Hitomi continued to pat Mila's back as a source of comfort. "Unfortunately, there are some cruel people in the world. I'm going to do my best to stop them."

Mila smiled at Hitomi's determination. "If only I was there when the attacker planned to kill her… I swear I could have beaten them in a second. I could have saved her, Hitomi…"

"You didn't know the murder was going to happen, though," the female detective told her. "Don't beat yourself over it."

"I'll try not to," Mila said with a small smile. Her expression then changed. "It's weird, though… Kokoro wanted to teach self-defense, yet she was murdered by the attacker. They must have been really strong."

Mila had a point. Hitomi had no idea how she even overlooked that fact. It was clear that Kokoro wanted to teach self-defense. It was possible that her attacker either had more fighting experience, or she was frightened and her shock became her downfall.

After dealing with Mila, as well as completing her training session, Hitomi headed home in order to have a shower and eat her dinner. However, the only thing playing on her mind right now was the two murder cases she was assigned to solve. It was going to be hard, but it could be done over some time.

What made Hitomi truly sad was that the crime rate within DOATEC City was higher than ever. She had no idea why a quiet town would suddenly become infested with so many crimes. No matter what, she swore that she would do whatever she could to stop it from continuing.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _Hmm... so we've had some revelations this chapter. Where was Rig on the night of Kokoro's murder? Why did Lisa lie about having Tina as an alibi? What is Rig hiding about his father? So many questions in such a short chapter..._

 _..._

 **INVESTIGATION PROCESS #2**

 **Time of murder:** Between 11pm and 6am

 **Place of murder:** Inside Johnny's Diner

 **Murder Weapon:** Frying pan, [unidentified cylindric object]

 **Who found the body:** Johnny

...

 **INVESTIGATION #2 SUSPECTS (UPDATED)**

 **Ayane : [Suspect because of her past conflict with Kokoro] **She was at the Temple of the Dragon with Kasumi ( _cleared by Kasumi_ )

 **Lisa Hamilton : [Suspect because she was oddly close to Kokoro] **Claims she was with Tina. (FAKE ALIBI)

 **Helena Douglas : [Suspect because of Miyako's personal reasons] **She was knitting with Marie Rose at her Lorelei estate ( _cleared by Marie Rose_ )

 **Bass Armstrong : [Suspect because he is a regular customer at night] **He was at the diner that night. No alibi.

 **Rig : ****[Suspect because he is a regular customer at night]** Claims he was in his apartment at the time. No alibi.

 **Brad Wong : [Suspect because of his conflict with Kokoro] **Says he was standing in front of the gym when he saw two different figures enter the diner. No alibi.

 **Leifang : [Suspect because of her tempered actions]**

 **...**

 **INVESTIGATION #2 CLUES (UPDATED)**

 **~ The diner is messy** \- signs of struggle.

 **~ Bloodstain on the doorknob** \- The other doorknob at the back room is clean. The murderer must have washed their hands before leaving.

 **~ Frying pan** \- The only culinary item to be squeaky clean. There are a few dents underneath. Confirmed to be one of the murder weapon(s).

 **~ Kokoro's face is terribly bruised** \- there are no marks on her body.

 **~ Facial injuries** \- It looks as though she was hit with something small and possibly of a cylindric shape... This is another murder weapon that hasn't been identified.

 **~ Scentless detergent** \- Purchased by Leifang. Cleans the bloodied mess on the frying pan but doesn't take away the scent.

 **~ Kokoro's backpack** \- only music notes and pencils were found inside. Where are her keys to lock the diner?

 **~ Unidentified figure(s)** \- Brad witnessed a tall figure enter the diner, leave, and then re-enter. Was this one person or two separate people? Or was Brad drinking too much?

 **~ Bass' appearance** \- His statement matches Brad's drunk vision... Did he enter the diner and then leave for good? Or did he re-enter and murder Kokoro?

 **~ Mila's observation** \- Kokoro wanted to teach self-defense, but she was easily overpowered... The murderer must have been strong.

 _..._

 _Thanks for reading! Reviews would be appreciated. :)_


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N** **:** _Sorry I've taken so long to update. I've been so busy with university. I hope everyone remembers where we're up to in this story!_

 _Also, I've noticed that a lot of people keep guessing who the murderer is - which is great! However, don't get too excited about it since this is my first time writing a mystery fic, so the clues are kind of bad... This is the type of story where you need to read the whole thing twice in order to recognise the hidden clues. I hope this message doesn't throw anyone off from waiting until the end. If you can correctly guess who it is, then I'd honestly be so amazed._

 **Disclaimer** **:** _All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 11**

As soon as Hitomi entered her apartment, she immediately headed over to the answering machine. When she pressed the flashing red button, a message from her father appeared which told her to call him back as soon as she could. In an instant, Hitomi dialled her father's number on the phone and waited for him to answer. It was only 7pm, so it was possible that he had finished teaching his students by now.

"Hey, Hitomi," his deep voice spoke.

"Hey, Dad. Sorry about not answering your call before. I was at work," Hitomi confessed. "Anyway, why did you want me to call you?"

"I wanted you to call me so you could give me your friend's phone number. She never showed up at the dojo, so I thought I might give her a call and confirm an orientation meeting with her instead."

Hitomi gulped. She completely forgot to tell her father that Kokoro had been murdered.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you… Kokoro was murdered a few days ago," she told him. "I'm afraid you will have to look for another instructor."

"Oh…" her father replied awkwardly. "Well, that's too bad. Who on earth would kill a young woman like that? I feel sorry for her parents."

"So am I," Hitomi replied. "I plan to solve this murder as soon as I can."

"Of course. Do whatever you can to find the murderer. Good luck."

After hanging up the phone, Hitomi was going to cook some dinner until another thought came to mind. She headed over to the phone once more and decided to invite Leifang over. The detective really needed someone to talk to right now.

When Leifang finally arrived, the two friends headed over to the couch and decided to watch some tv. Hitomi couldn't help but observe her best friend from the corner of her eye. The university student was fidgeting as she watched the tv. Something wasn't right.

"What's wrong, Leifang?" Hitomi asked. When she received no answer, the German girl switched the tv off. Leifang glared at her.

"It's just Kokoro," she admitted. "When I last saw her, she was so happy about standing up to her mother. I feel bad because I was so angry about her getting a raise…"

"You didn't know she was going to die," Hitomi replied. "No one did."

"... I know, but I feel guilty for being so negative when I last saw her… And here I am, making everything about me again... I'm pathetic."

Hitomi reached over to the coffee table and handed Leifang the box of tissues. From the looks of it, she didn't realise that a few tears had trailed down her cheeks. The Chinese woman formed a small smile as she wiped her tears away.

"You're not pathetic," Hitomi assured her friend. "By the way, the scentless detergent you bought for Mila helped us find the murder weapon."

Leifang was confused. "How?"

"You know how we thought that the scentless detergent had no smell _and_ that it would make the dishes have no scent?" she asked. Leifang nodded. "Well, it turns out that the detergent doesn't remove the previous scent. Eliot and I were able to smell the blood from a mile away."

"That's great!" Leifang clapped. "I'm starting to feel useful, after all…"

"That's the spirit!" Hitomi smiled. She was glad that she could cheer her friend up. She then decided to change the subject in order to catch up properly. "So, how is everything going with your science degree?"

"Not that great," Leifang frowned. "My assignments are stressing me out and it's making me lash out at people. You saw how I reacted to Kokoro's raise the other day…"

"I'm sure the stress will be worth it."

"Or maybe it won't, Hitomi," Leifang sighed. "I might drop out and do an acting course instead. I've been practicing more. Here, let me show you…"

Hitomi couldn't help but giggle as Leifang spent the next half hour reenacting famous movie scenes. She hated to admit it, but Leifang was a terrible actress. The detective secretly hoped that her best friend would stay in her current course.

Leifang laughed as she sat back down on the couch. She seemed to have enjoyed her comedic routine. "It feels great to catch up with you again, Hitomi."

Hitomi smiled in response. "I agree," she said. "The only person I've been talking to lately is Eliot. I've been meaning to talk to Hayate some more as well…"

Leifang rolled her eyes. "Just tell him how you feel, already. It's been, like, ten years now."

"Like you should talk," Hitomi glared, throwing the tissue box at Leifang. She flinched in response.

"Okay, I think that's enough boy talk since we're both kind of delusional," Leifang admitted, turning the tv back on. "Let's watch some tv!"

Hitomi turned her head to the screen in front of her. Although she was watching the television now with Leifang, her mind was somewhere else. Truth be told, Leifang was actually right about Hayate. Hitomi had known him for ten years now. She had a crush on him the moment he first approached her on the playground. He was a few years older than her, but that didn't stop her from liking him.

How ridiculous was it that she _still_ didn't have the guts to tell him how she truly felt? Hitomi always told herself that she couldn't ruin their friendship. The detective stood by her rule until she noticed how jealous she was whenever Lisa, or any of his other past girlfriends were mentioned. He never even had the urge to ask her out, so maybe it was a one-sided kind of love. In a way, she had already accepted that.

With a hint of sadness in her eyes, Hitomi leaned her head onto Leifang's shoulder. Making sure to fill the best friend duty correctly, the university student wrapped her arm around the karateka's shoulders in a comforting fashion. They remained that way as they continued watching rom-coms for the rest of the night… Until they both fell asleep, of course.

* * *

A week had passed since Leifang spent the night at Hitomi's apartment. Since then, she hadn't spoken to anyone else other than Eliot, and occasionally Rig as she passed him in the hallway. When she accepted her job as a detective, she didn't know that her social life would suffer in the process.

The young woman was currently inside her office, typing away at the keyboard of her old computer. Other than the clicking sound coming from the keyboard, the only other source of sound inside the room was the miniature television set at the corner of the room. Tina's championship match was currently being broadcasted live.

Hitomi continued to type away on her keyboard until she saw Gen Fu walk past the open door. He was currently releasing a teenage boy from his interview. From what Hitomi had heard from Eliot, he was being questioned for severely bullying another boy at school.

"You are free to go," his wise voice could be heard in the background. It was a few moments later when he stopped by Hitomi's office. "How are you and Eliot doing with the cases?"

Hitomi jumped from being frightened. "Oh! You scared me!" she said, clutching her chest. "Well… we're kind of struggling right now, but we _will_ get to the bottom of this."

"That's the spirit," the old man replied. "It took me a while to solve my first case, too. Now look at me… There are people in this town who trust me. At the same time, there are also a lot of people who are wary of me… But that comes with the job of being a police officer."

"I understand," Hitomi said, taking in his words. "It's a little frustrating at the moment, but we will find the murderer."

"I have complete confidence that you will," Gen Fu replied. He then turned around and made his way to his own office.

Hitomi stared at where Gen Fu had been standing. She continued to recall his words once more. He was right, and at the same time, she knew she had to be patient with her cases. If there was one thing she knew, it was that the truth would come out eventually.

A loud noise then grabbed Hitomi's attention. She turned to the television and smiled when she noticed that the loud noise was the announcer revealing that Tina had won the championship fight. What made her laugh was the fact that Bass had run onto the stage in order to hug Tina and congratulate her. All in all, Hitomi was glad that her friend had won the fight. She knew how badly Tina had wanted this.

* * *

After her shift at the office, Hitomi made sure to visit the Seaside Market in order to do some more grocery shopping. She had purchased a carton of eggs when she felt a familiar aura. As she turned around, she noticed that Leon was staring at her all the way from his stall. Hitomi gulped as his gaze bore into her soul.

Now feeling more uncomfortable than ever, Hitomi decided to approach the man in order to find out what was going on. Just as she was about to speak, the Italian man cut her to the chase.

"What have you found out about Rolande's case?" he asked. His tone hinted impatience.

"U-um… Well…" Hitomi started. She couldn't help but feel intimidated by his stare. "A slight progress has been made, and-"

"A slight progress?!" he cut her off. "My wife died almost two months ago! You people should have figured out who murdered her by now!"

Hitomi tried her best to ignore all the stares she was receiving. She was becoming overwhelmed by the situation.

"I-I get that, but there have been some obstacles along the way," she admitted. "By the way, I understand that Eliot approached you about a drug theory. I just wanted to know if you were telling the truth or not."

At that moment, Hitomi knew that she had irritated Leon.

"PISS OFF!" he screamed at her.

Surprisingly, even to herself, Hitomi wasn't offended by Leon's behaviour towards her. Avoiding the stares of every other customer was a little bit easier this time since her mind was on Hayate's drug theory. She came to a stop once more when she saw Brad Wong in the distance. He was currently dancing next to some hungry chickens.

Once they shared eye contact, Brad lazily waved at Hitomi with a smug smile on his face. Hitomi responded by waving back, but put her arm down as soon as Brad fell to the floor. The chickens ran away in a hurry.

In an instant, the young karateka hurried over to Brad. It didn't surprise her when she found him laughing at the sky. The man was clearly drunk. Even so, Hitomi helped him to his feet and offered to take him home.

"No," he said, putting up his hand. "I'm okay. I… I can get home just fine from here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Brad answered. "Being drunk is like being sober to me now… My brain is strong enough to control the liquor."

"Okay, if you insist," Hitomi shrugged. "Make sure you get home safely."

As Hitomi turned away from the drunk man, she collided into someone else. Both she, and the mysterious person, fell to the floor. Hitomi quickly got on her feet and grabbed her grocery bags. As soon as she was about to grab the last one, someone else already picked it up and handed it over to her.

It was the mysterious person… Or _woman_ , now that Hitomi had a clear view of her.

"I'm so sorry for bumping into you," the woman apologised with a frown.

"Oh no, that's okay," Hitomi replied, taking the grocery bag from her. "It was my fault. I should have watched where I was going."

The woman standing in front of her was tall and had a voluptuous build. Her skin was a nice brown shade which reminded Hitomi of chocolate. Her short brown hair was parted neatly on the side, and Hitomi could tell that her choice of clothing was expensive. This woman was clearly rich.

"Well... I'd better be heading off," the woman said, now taking her leave.

Hitomi stared as the woman hurried over to the nearest stall. She couldn't help but feel intrigued by the woman. There was something about her that made the karateka want to know her more. She then shook her head and formed one last smile at the woman before continuing with the rest of her grocery shopping.

* * *

Later that night, Hitomi made her way over to the bathroom in order to brush her teeth. Just as she finished applying the toothpaste on her toothbrush, the phone rang. With an exhausted sigh, the detective ran over to the living room and answered the phone.

"H...Hello?" she huffed.

"Hey, Hitomi!" Tina's southern accent drawled from the other side. "I'm not sure if you watched the championships today, but I won!"

"I saw the match," Hitomi replied. "You did great!"

"Thanks! Anyway, do you remember when we were in the diner last week and I said I was going to throw a celebratory party when I won?..."

Although Tina couldn't see her, Hitomi nodded her head. "Yes."

"Well, I'm planning the party and you're invited," Tina said with excitement. "The party is going to be in two days at the coliseum. Make sure you get there around 6pm!"

"Okay! That sounds grea-"

However, Hitomi wasn't able to finish her sentence since Tina hung up on her. Normally, the karateka would be mad if someone hung up on her while she was speaking, but she understood Tina's situation right now. Since she was a celebrity who wanted to invite half the town to her party, the pro wrestler had a lot of calls to make.

Even though she was in the middle of trying to solve two murder cases, Hitomi was up for a little partying. She really needed to get her social life back. Maybe this would be the perfect way to get a head start.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _So Hitomi finally met Lisa... without knowing her true identity. Will they meet again? And will Hayate know about this? Find out in the next chapter!_


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N** **:** _Hello, and w_ _elcome to one of the longest chapters in this story! It would be a good idea to grab some food and sit in a comfortable seat since there are almost 6000 words to read. Have fun and tell me what you think at the end!_

 _Also, if you're a fan of Hayate/Hitomi, then you might like the first half of this chapter. :3_

 **Disclaimer** **:** _All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 12**

After waking up at 11am and getting changed afterwards, Hitomi had planned to go to the gym. Luckily, it was her day off today, so she thought this would be the perfect chance to get back into her old fitness routine. Even though she practiced her karate on some mornings, she couldn't help but feel as though she needed to expand her horizons some more.

Once when Hitomi made it outside the gym, she became sidetracked. Instead of heading inside, she looked over to the diner. It was open for business.

From what Hitomi could see, there only seemed to be one person inside, but she couldn't tell who it was… Naturally, Hitomi followed her instincts and decided to check it out.

When she made her way inside the diner, Hitomi saw that the only other person inside was Leifang. She was currently distracting herself by sweeping the floor, even though there was no dust in sight. When the waitress looked up at Hitomi, her full lips turned to a smile. She was glad to finally have a customer.

"What can I get for you, Hitomi?" she asked, now making her way behind the counter.

"I'm not here to order anything," Hitomi told Leifang. "Why is the diner open?"

"Well, its been over a week since Kokoro's murder, so Johnny thought now would be the best time to reopen the diner..." Leifang replied. Her face then fell. "Unfortunately, he was wrong."

Hitomi took a seat on one of the stools. "To be honest, I don't think anyone would like to eat where someone was murdered."

"I know and it's not fair," Leifang pouted, crossing her arms. "Someone was murdered at the gym and that stupid place is _still_ making more money than ever."

Hitomi couldn't help but smirk at her friend. Even though Leifang had a point, she wasn't entirely correct.

"The difference between the diner and the gym is that Rolande was murdered _outside_ of the gym. Kokoro was murdered inside."

"I guess you have a point…" Leifang admitted. "But this whole thing is so dumb. Why the hell would anyone even think to murder Kokoro?!"

Hitomi shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea… But look on the bright side. Tina is hosting her party tomorrow. In a way, everyone can finally relax for a few hours and have some fun."

"To be honest, I don't even know why I was invited to her party," Leifang admitted, now beginning to wipe the already-clean counter with a rag. "Tina and I don't exactly like each other…"

This was true. Tina and Leifang had always bickered over the silliest things in the past. Hitomi frowned since she knew that a lot of opposites usually attract and get along really well. Both of her friends were definitely opposites, but they didn't get along in the slightest. It was almost like a rivalry.

Hitomi's thoughts were interrupted by repeated banging sounds. When she found the source of her distraction, it turned out that it was just Leifang stuffing the napkins into the napkin holder. She did it in a rough fashion, which told Hitomi that she was frustrated. The German woman couldn't blame her. After all, this is where everything had changed…

It was truly horrifying to think about. Just a week ago, Kokoro was hanging from the ceiling only a few feet away. This is where she was planning to change her life… Where she was attacked… _Where she took her last breath_.

Just as it seemed like a miracle had happened, the doorbell rang. When the customer entered the store and approached the front counter, Hitomi was happy to see that it was Hayate. For some odd reason, he was wearing sunglasses. It was cold outside.

"Hayate, why are you wearing sunglasses?" Hitomi asked him.

Hayate lowered his sunglasses to make a quick glance at Hitomi. He then covered his brown eyes with them once more. "Because I don't want to be recognised at the crime scene."

Leifang glared at him. "How dare you! The diner is still a safe place!"

"I know! I know!" the karate instructor held his hands up in defense. "But everyone else doesn't think so… Anyway, I'm only here to buy some marrons glaces for Ayane."

"Why didn't Ayane come and get it herself?" Hitomi wondered.

"Because she's too chicken to be seen here, apparently," Hayate rolled his eyes. "But whatever. I don't mind doing some big brother duties."

"That's very nice of you, Hayate," Leifang said, trying not to giggle.

"I know. At least she can now tell everyone what a reliable, handsome brother she has."

Hitomi rolled her eyes. "You're so full of yourself, Hayate."

"Hitomi, please. I am the wind." **[1]**

"You know, that quote has never made any sense to me…" Hitomi admitted. "You've been saying it ever since we were kids."

"I guess it just grew into a casual saying," Hayate admitted with a chuckle. "Anyway, I'd better get going."

Hitomi watched as Leifang handed Hayate the bag of marrons glaces. "Don't run into Lisa while you're delivering those sweets to Ayane," she said. Playfully, of course.

"Stop being so jealous," Hayate joked in return. "I'll see you and Leifang at the party."

And with those being his final words, Hayate left the diner.

Hitomi found herself staring at the door for a short while. She really missed how she and Hayate were able to joke around. Her face began to turn red as she thought back to their old memories together. Once when the German girl came back to reality, she turned around to find Leifang staring at her with an arched brow.

"What?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing…" Leifang replied, dangling her fingers over the counter, "except that, maybe you could have told Hayate how you felt right there."

The detective sighed at her friend. "Now wouldn't have been a good time."

"Why not?"

"Well, for one, you are right here and would ruin the moment," Hitomi told her. "There is also the fact that a waitress was murdered here a week ago."

Leifang was now silent. "... You have a point."

"Exactly," Hitomi chuckled. "Anyway, I should go and train at the gy-"

"Hey, ya'll!" a familiar voice beamed. Hitomi saw that it was Tina. She was curious to know why the female wrestler was at the infamous diner.

"Hey, Tina. Did you come to eat here?" Hitomi asked her.

"Nope," she answered with a smile. She then turned to Leifang. "I came here to order some platters for my party tomorrow."

Leifang scrunched her brows in confusion. "You know someone was murdered here… Right?"

"I know," Tina replied, normally. She then readjusted her black beanie before continuing. "In my opinion, food is still food. I don't care what happened here as long as there isn't any blood in the food."

"There's no blood in the foo-"

"And it would be even better to honour Kokoro," Tina said, cutting Leifang off. "I'm sure she would have loved to be part of the party. In a way, I want to do this for her as well."

Hitomi smiled at the pro wrestler. "Oh wow… That's a really nice idea, Tina."

"Thanks," she replied, flicking her hair. She then turned to Leifang once more. "I want there to be twenty plates of food at the party tomorrow. I don't care what food you put on there. Just make it taste good."

"Twenty plates?!" Leifang asked in shock. "That would be really good for the diner's overall business!"

Tina flashed a pearly white smile. She was glad to be of help for the diner's reputation. Hitomi was also happy that Tina had ordered so many plates. She knew how much the Armstrong duo loved to eat there. The karateka was sure that Johnny would be grateful for Tina's generosity.

After when the pro wrestler paid her total fee, she left the diner. It turns out that she still had many people to call. A few minutes later, just as when the diner was quiet again, Mila entered the front room. She was already wearing her green maid dress and held her backpack over her shoulder. What seemed different about her this time is that there was a bandaid above her left eyebrow.

"Oh great, you're here!" Leifang smiled at the MMA fighter. She then proceeded to take her apron off. "My shift is over, so I'm going to try and find Jann Lee. I think he said he was going to the coliseum before…"

"Are you going to tell him how you feel?" Hitomi asked him.

"Of course not, Hitomi," she replied. "Do you want to help me spy on him?"

Hitomi chuckled at her friend. "No, thank you. Besides, I was planning to have a chat with Mila."

The Chinese woman shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Hitomi and Mila both smiled like mentors as they witnessed Leifang running across the street. They had never seen the waitress run so fast before. Her reasons to stalk Jann Lee were probably serious this time.

"I wonder if that's all she ever does…" Mila wondered, now witnessing Leifang almost being hit by a truck. Thankfully, she avoided the vehicle and continued to run.

"Nope. She likes to read once in awhile, too," Hitomi joked. Her expression then turned serious. "Are you feeling any better, though? From the other day, I mean…"

"Hm?" the waitress wondered. It then clicked to her. "Oh, yeah! I'm fine now. Thank you so much for comforting me that day. I really appreciate it."

"It was no problem," Hitomi replied. "To be honest, I was surprised that the diner even reopened today."

"I was surprised, too," Mila admitted. "It was Johnny's idea, actually. He was supposed to work today, but he asked me to take over his shift again since he had to see his brother. Apparently it was some kind of emergency…"

The mention of Johnny's brother made Hitomi think of Rig. Was this possibly his father, or another uncle? Either way, she hoped that the emergency was solved and no longer serious. It would be terrible for another bad thing to happen this time around.

Hitomi observed Mila as she placed the rag into the nearby sink. The detective couldn't help but stare at her eyebrow. When Mila turned around to face Hitomi once more, she noticed that the German girl was staring at her new accessory.

"After when we had our talk at the gym, I began to spar with Tina," she explained, pointing at her bandaid. "I guess you can say she punched me a little too hard…"

"Hm, about that… You two seem to like spending a lot of time together…" Hitomi observed.

"Yeah. We're friends," she smiled. "I also spar with Zack a lot, too, so I'm glad to have made some friends here."

"A lot of people are nice around here," Hitomi told her. "It's very easy to make friends with them, in my opinion. By the way… Are you going to Tina's party tomorrow?"

"Yes!" Mila gushed. Hitomi was taken aback by her sudden change of attitude. "I've always wanted to meet Bass Armstrong. He's so amazing! He's my inspiration and my role model, and just… UGH!"

Now that she recalled the events from the other week, Hitomi remembered Mila mentioning Bass Armstrong in an inspired tone. She was honestly surprised by this girly side of Mila. She never expected such a behaviour to come from the spunky waitress.

"I've met him before. He's really nice," Hitomi told Mila. "I'm sure he'll like you since you seem to be good friends with Tina."

"Oh, I really hope so!" Mila squealed. She then began to jump up and down in glee.

Once again, Hitomi was really surprised by Mila's attitude. She also thought that Bass would be grateful, as well, to meet a fan who was really inspired by him. Hitomi hoped that the two would be able to meet at Tina's party. She figured that they would be able to get along really well.

* * *

It felt as though an eternity had gone by when the next night finally arrived. Hitomi was really excited to attend a party and let loose since she had been so stressed lately with all these murders to solve. She, as well as Eliot, really needed a night off from their duties. The karateka hoped that Eliot would have some secret dance moves hidden within him as well.

After deciding to dress in casual attire, Hitomi checked herself in the mirror. Her denim jacket matched with her jeans, and her yellow eagle shirt gave her a fresh appearance. Her pink headband was pushed through her hair, which revealed more of her peachy, oval face. Once when she applied her brown combat boots, she left for the party.

"Here's to a night of fun and ridiculous dancing," she voiced her thoughts. Luckily, no one else was around to think that she was crazy enough to talk to herself.

* * *

By the time Hitomi arrived inside the D.W.A coliseum, she noticed that there were already some people there. The large wrestling stage in the middle of the room was mostly empty. A small pile of thin cables were scattered at one corner of the stage.

Hitomi scanned the coliseum in order to have a more proper look of who was already there. She noticed that Rig and Bass were having a friendly conversation near the stage. Marie Rose was also there. She was currently chatting with a short girl with pink hair. She couldn't note anything else about her appearance since her back was facing the detective.

Eventually, Hitomi's eyes laid on Zack. She tried her best not to laugh at his appearance. His beard was dyed green, and his usual bald head was now replaced with a fake mohawk of the same colour. Zack was usually known for his outrageous style. According to Eliot, he once dressed as a silver alien for Mei Lin's birthday party. It didn't take long before Gen Fu had kicked him out. This was because his antenna began to scare the children (and most likely the parents, too).

Nevertheless, Hitomi ran over to her good friend and gave him the biggest hug. She had missed his jokes while being away. A part of her hugged him so tight as well because Niki had left him out of nowhere. It was a shame because Hitomi really liked Niki. Zack was so serious about his relationship with her and they were both planning to get married soon. Hitomi remembered how she used to tease Zack for being so in love and how she would suggest she would be the best Aunt to their babies. Too bad it would never happen now…

"How are the investigations going?" Zack asked once they ended the hug.

"I don't even want to talk about work right now," Hitomi replied. "By the way… How are you dealing with the whole Niki thing?"

"Like you just said, _I don't want to talk about it_ ," he mimicked. Hitomi lightly punched his arm.

"Zack… I'm really worried about you."

"There's no need to be worried," Zack told her. "I'm happy. I've been living my life. Sure, these past few months have been tough, but life goes on!"

No matter how happy Zack seemed, she still didn't believe him. He'd just lost the love of his life a few months ago. There was no way he would be able to move on so quickly.

"Well, I'm here for you if you ever want to talk," she smiled, warmly. "What Niki did to you was not right. She made a big mistake by leaving you behind."

And just like that, Hitomi seemed to crack his shell. Zack's face fell and he looked defeated. It was clear he was putting on an act before.

"I don't get it, Hitomi. I loved Niki so much," he said. "I would have named an island after that woman because _that's_ how much I loved her. I don't get what I did wrong…" **[2]**

"She doesn't deserve you, Zack. You'll find someone better, and I'm sure Niki will get what's coming to her someday."

A wide smile appeared on Zack's face. He then placed his arm over her shoulder. "How the hell did I survive two years without you?!"

"I could say the same about you," she laughed. She really missed being able to talk to Zack. With work in the way all the time, it was hard to catch up with him. The only time she saw him before was when she questioned him about Rolande's murder in the diner.

Hitomi was then surprised since Zack began to lead her over to the other side of the coliseum. She soon found herself being led towards Tina and Helena. The closer Hitomi got, the more she could hear their conversation. It turns out that the two blondes were actually talking about their successful careers.

"Hey, ladies," Zack said with a cheerful tone. "Look who I found."

"Hitomi!" Tina beamed, reaching over to hug the karateka. "I'm so glad you came to my party!"

Once when they ended the hug, Hitomi looked over at Helena who acknowledged her with a kind nod. She seemed to be content, but her green eyes told Hitomi that she was still saddened by Kokoro's death. That was natural, of course, since the young woman was her sister.

Hitomi's thoughts about Helena were soon interrupted as Tina began to wave at someone behind them. The detective turned around to see Rig. He waved back at Tina before continuing his conversation with Bass.

"Isn't he just so hot?! I think he likes me, too!" she gushed.

"A man with tattoos is _not_ attractive," Helena argued. "At least, not in my books."

"You need to expand your horizons a little more, Helena. People like Rig are mysterious but very badass," Tina winked. She then sneaked a peek at Rig once more.

Hitomi turned to Rig as well. He was still chatting with Bass until Mila appeared out of nowhere and pushed him to the side. The young MMA fighter then began to jump up and down with joy as she was finally standing in front of the man she had always idolised. The detective noticed that Bass was confused by what was happening. His mouth slowly formed into a smug smile when he realised that the waitress was actually a hardcore fan and not some weirdo.

The karateka continued to observe her surroundings while Zack attempted to impress both Helena and Tina with some magic tricks. A small smile appeared on her face when she saw Hayate. He was talking to the woman she had bumped into the other day. Once when Hayate made eye contact with her, he smiled and ushered her over.

When Hitomi approached the pair, she smiled at them.

"Hitomi, I'm glad you're here," Hayate told her. He then jerked his thumb over to the mysterious woman. "This is Lisa."

Hitomi's face fell when he said that. Her heart began to thump louder than usual, and she could also feel her stomach churn. She felt nauseous, but she had to be strong.

"It's nice to meet you," Lisa said, extending her hand. "Hayate has said so many things about you."

Hitomi shook Lisa's hand. "It's nice to meet you, too," she replied.

This was terrible. When Hayate first mentioned Lisa, Hitomi was expecting a plain looking woman with average features. She was clearly wrong since Lisa basically looked like a supermodel. Even though they had broken up, Hitomi still felt threatened by the competition.

"So, Hayate tells me that you are a detective," Lisa said. "How does it feel to investigate crimes?"

"Investigating crimes can be frustrating sometimes, but it's definitely something that interests me."

"I believe your job is part of an interesting field," Lisa replied. "You sound very passionate about it."

Hitomi smiled at Lisa's words. "I really am… And what do you do for a living?"

The karateka already knew that Lisa was a doctor, but she didn't want to tell them that she already knew. If they found out, then they would know that she and Leifang occasionally talked about her and Hayate.

"I'm currently a doctor at the DOATEC City hospital."

"Oh," Hitomi said in fake surprise. "That's a really good job!"

"It really is," Lisa replied. "I love to help as much as I can. The other doctors and I hope to change the lives of many people, and it is usually a success."

All Hitomi could do at that moment was smile at Lisa's response. Deep inside, Hitomi felt like she was being stabbed in the heart. She felt like she couldn't compete with Lisa since she was obviously a beautiful genius who saved lives. How could she beat that?

Hitomi also remembered Leifang telling her that Lisa was the only female doctor at the hospital. She also knew that Hayate always had a strong liking for intelligent women, so Lisa definitely won that battle there. At the same time, Lisa had the full package. She could see why Hayate had dated her for so long.

Hitomi could sense something odd at the corner of her eye and turned around to see Tina glaring at Lisa. The karateka turned her gaze back to Lisa, who sighed with defeat.

"I'd better go and clear the air with Tina…" she told them. "Excuse me."

Once when Lisa had gone over to Tina, Hayate decided to strike a new conversation.

"So, what do you think of Lisa?"

"She's… great," Hitomi admitted. "... I can see why you dated her."

"What do you mean?" Hayate asked.

"Well, she's pretty, and fit, and smart, and clearly mature… Do I need to go on?"

"I see what you mean, but we've already broken up. We're just friends now."

"Friends?" Hitomi repeated. "That usually doesn't end well for both parties after breaking up."

"I know, but we're both mature enough to handle things," Hayate replied. It then clicked to him. "I hope you're not jealous."

"... Maybe a little," Hitomi admitted. She could feel her cheeks reddening. She had never admitted anything like this to Hayate before. It was so scary, yet so fulfilling at the same time.

"Don't be jealous. She's got nothing on yo-"

A few voices suddenly blared over Hayate. The pair both turned around to see Tina and Lisa bickering. Helena was also standing nearby, clearly distraught by the scene. From what Hitomi could faintly hear, they were arguing about Lisa using Tina as a false alibi. Hayate quickly ran over to the other side of the room in order to separate the duo. He then instructed Helena to take Tina outside to cool down; which she did.

All Hitomi could do was stare in awe at the scene that had just happened in front of everyone. She just hoped that the remainder of the party wouldn't be this tense because she came to have fun and not stress out.

* * *

Another hour had passed and the tense vibe was replaced with an energetic atmosphere. All the other guests had finally arrived and everyone was currently dancing to an upbeat song. Hitomi soon found Leifang through the crowd and the two friends danced together. Colourful lights were flashing everywhere, and the dance floor was packed with many people.

When the current song had ended, Tina made her way on top of the empty wrestling stage and called for all of the music to stop. Once when the coliseum was quiet, everyone paid their attention to Tina in order to listen to what she had to say. Hitomi figured that this was the big news she wanted to announce in the diner a few weeks ago.

"Hey, ya'll! I hope you're enjoying the party!" she spoke into the microphone. The whole crowd cheered in response.

Tina chuckled at the positive response. "Anyway, I told a few people that I wanted to host this party because I have some news I want to share with you all…" she then took a deep breath before continuing her announcement. "As of today, I have quit my career as a wrestler. I have decided to move forward by signing a contract with a modelling agency!"

Hitomi looked at Tina in awe. She had no idea that the pro wrestler had even _considered_ changing careers. The detective always thought that she was happy with her current occupation. She looked over at Leifang who rolled her eyes at the announcement.

"I must admit that I was inspired by Helena. I owe all of this to her," Tina continued. "I would also like to thank my family and my friends for supporting m-"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Bass' voice boomed. He made his way onto the stage and snatched the microphone away from Tina. "YOU CAN'T BE A MODEL!"

"Yes, I can!" Tina argued. "You said I could do whatever I want."

"I meant you could do whatever you want _with wrestling_! You can't just do something you've never done before," Bass snapped at her. "What if you hate it?!"

"Then I'll become an actress."

Bass' face was reddening with anger. "An actress?! I didn't train you for ten years to become an actress!"

"I just want to expand my horizons, daddy! I want to be good at other things!"

"Well, I won't allow it! I'm not going to see you fail!"

"But I'm not going to fail!" Tina shouted.

All of a sudden, the music began to blare once again. Hitomi looked around the room to find the source of the sound and noticed that Zack had begun his DJing duties. The detective was thankful due to the awkward atmosphere creeping up on everyone. And so, everyone slowly resumed their energetic dancing once more as Tina and Bass continued to have a yelling match on the stage.

It was a short while later when Hitomi witnessed Tina walking away from her father. She headed over to Rig, who was nearby, and attempted to dance with him. The pro wrestler was dancing in a sultry way, but he didn't seem to be as interested. Hitomi assumed it was because Rig was a good friend of Bass and he probably didn't want to ruin that by flirting with his daughter.

Hitomi tried to fix her concentration on something else, and luckily succeeded when she found Hayate. She noticed that he was already looking at her. He gave her a small wave, and she smiled as she gave one in return. However, their moment was ruined as Bass' muscular figure walked through them and caught Hitomi's attention. Her eyes followed him and she witnessed him approaching Tina and Rig. Tina, who was offended, argued with her father some more.

"You're ruining my night!" she yelled.

"I'm not ruining your night! I'm trying to save you from this ridiculous dream!" Bass argued.

"My dreams are _not_ ridiculous! They are real and they are achievable!"

"You're being delusional," Bass told her. "Think about your future! You're going to ruin your career!"

Tina had nothing else to say and simply gave Bass the cold shoulder. She walked past him and headed over to the backstage area. Bass gave up on his daughter and decided to voice his concerns to Rig instead. Hayate, who was nearby, looked concerned about the situation.

"Kasumi and I might go home now," he told Hitomi. "Ayane wanted to stay here, so I guess I'll be hoping that she arrives home safely."

"I can drive her home," Hitomi offered.

"That would mean a lot to me," Hayate replied. "Anyway, I'd better go and tell Tina that I'm leaving. It would be rude to not say goodbye to her…"

Hitomi nodded in understanding as Hayate made his way over to Tina. She soon saw Eliot in the distance with Brad Wong. The detective made her way over to the pair and began to dance with them. She felt great since since she was starting to have fun once again. Eliot was a weird dancer, which is something Hitomi had not expected. He seemed awkward with his moves, which told her he wasn't very confident.

When the song had finished, Ayane approached the trio. She seemed reluctant to show any kind of emotion as she focused her attention on Hitomi.

"Hayate told me that you were going to drive me home?..."

"Yeah," Hitomi smiled. "Is that okay with you?"

"I guess so," the violet haired teen replied. "Thanks."

Hitomi noticed that Eliot was smiling a lot more than usual. His cheeks were slightly pink, and he seemed to be fidgety.

"So, Ayane, how many siblings do you have?" he asked. Hitomi thought that was a weird question to ask.

"Two…" she said, weirdly. "Kasumi and Hayate. They're both here at the party right now."

"I've met Hayate, but not Kasumi," Eliot admitted. "What does she look like?"

Without a word, Ayane headed over to the backstage area for a short moment and soon dragged Kasumi over to the group. For some odd reason, Kasumi seemed excited to meet Eliot.

"Hi, I'm Kasumi," she smiled, taking his hand and shaking it. "We actually met last week near the diner. You and Hitomi were questioning us about Kokoro's death."

Eliot was surprised by Kasumi's kind attitude. He had expected her to be as pessimistic as Ayane. "O-oh yes, that's right! I can see now that you two look alike."

Brad then pushed his roommate to the side and also shook Kasumi's hand. "Well, hey there, pretty lad- Ow!"

The middle aged man yelped in pain as Ayane jabbed his waist. "Stay away from my sister, you freak."

Brad crouched over and clutched his stomach, weakly. "G-Got it…"

Kasumi seemed to be touched that her younger sister had defended her from a possible predator. The warm smile on her face soon faded to black. Hitomi was confused… Everything was black. It turns out the power had been shut down.

In an instant, many voices became louder. The tones of their voices told Hitomi that they were worried about the lack of light. Hitomi tried her best not to get annoyed since a lot of people were bumping into her.

"Who keeps touching my legs?!" Eliot's voice shouted.

"S-sorry…" A drunk voice replied.

"Brad!" the young man shouted. His tone revealed anger, yet also a slight hint of surprise.

What concerned Hitomi was that she eventually heard a few banging sounds. It was an odd sound to hear at a party. Her other senses were heightened since she couldn't see.

An overall five minutes had passed when the lights finally came back on. The German woman turned around to see Lisa at the DJ booth. She smiled in triumph as she fixed the power control. Apart from that, everyone seemed to be okay. People were now calming down from their shock, and some people even began to dance once more, even though there was no music being played.

Kasumi smiled at Hitomi. "Well, I'd better go back to Tina and Haya-"

However, she was interrupted by a manly scream. Hitomi turned her head and noticed that it came from the backstage area. Acting on her policing instincts, Hitomi ran over to the room and was surprised at what she saw.

Right in front of her eyes were the two dead bodies of Tina and Hayate. The female detective tried her best not to scream at the sight. They had been alive only a few minutes ago.

The detective felt the door slam against her back. Looking behind her, she saw that Kasumi was trying to make her way inside the room. The slight crack of the ajar door gave her eyes enough access to find Hayate's body. Her eyes widened and she was even more determined now to open the door. Hitomi decided against this as she didn't want Kasumi to be even more distraught, so she tried to close the door on her. Surprisingly, Kasumi gave up after a few tries. She then ran away, possibly to find Ayane.

Now that she was almost alone, Hitomi's eyes trailed over to the two other people in the room. Bass and Rig were standing in shock against the door on the other side of the room. They both looked at Hitomi in shock, instantly knowing how bad the situation looked.

Hitomi glared at Rig and Bass. Her friends were both dead, and one of them was most likely the murderer.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _Uh oh! :( I'm not gonna lie, I really didn't want to get rid of them... But for the sake of this story, I had to._

 _Stay tuned for next time!_

 _..._

 **[1] -** I couldn't help but add an actual DOA quote hehehe. You'll find quite a few of these hidden within the story.

 **[2] -** I love making subtle DOA references. Zack technically named a _beach_ after Niki, but it was close enough.


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N** **:** _After every death, the next chapter will show the perspective of that character just before they die. That's what's about to happen below. Also, this is another investigation chapter, so have fun!_

 _I also know I said 'every death', so there will be more to come... Let's hope none of our favourites die. But who knows in this story?_

 **Disclaimer** **:** _All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 13**

 _Tina entered the backstage area after the fight with her father and slammed the door in anger. She was humiliated, to say the least. All she wanted to do was share her great news with everyone, and her father had unsurprisingly disapproved of her choices. She didn't understand why he was so against her intentions. It was her life; not his._

 _The famous wrestler ran her hands through her golden hair in frustration. Not only was she humiliated, but she was also furious. A rumbling noise nearby stirred her thoughts, but she ignored it. She resumed her deep thinking and recalled all the faces in the crowd that stared at her in shock. Of course, her father had to take the spotlight away from her. She was sick of it._

 _The door swung open and Tina glared at the mysterious person. Her glare softened when she noticed it was Hayate and Kasumi. They looked a little awkward to be confronting her after the outburst with her father._

" _I hope you don't mind, but Kasumi and I need to go right now," Hayate said._

" _It was fun! We had a really good time," Kasumi smiled._

 _The pro wrestler sighed. "I'm sorry if the fight with my dad made everything awkward," her Southern accent drawled._

" _That's not the reason why we're leaving," Kasumi said. "Hayate and I have a busy day tomorrow, so I'm afraid we must leave early… I hope you understand."_

 _Tina could see through their lies, but she nodded in response. "Yeah. Of course. I'm glad you two could come, though."_

 _The door then opened once more and Ayane's head peeked through. Tina was hoping that she wasn't planning to leave as well._

" _Kasumi," she called. "Come with me for a second. Eliot wants to meet you."_

" _Ooh, is this the guy you've been talking about at home?" she wondered._

" _Shut up, you freak!"_

 _Kasumi giggled as she followed her sister out of the room. She was always so defensive._

 _Once when the two sisters left the room, Hayate observed Tina's face. She seemed to be troubled by her situation with Bass._

" _Are you okay?" he asked her. "I know you were arguing with your father before , but I saw you arguing with Lisa as well..."_

 _Tina forced a smile. "I'm fine… After all, the show must go on!"_

 _Ironically, the lights suddenly went out, which made the Texan frown. She and Hayate both wandered around the room in complete darkness. They tried to find each other in the process._

 _Without any warning, something blunt hit Tina's head. She clutched her forehead in pain._

" _What the- ckkkkkkhhh!" her words soon turned into a slur as something made its way around her neck._

 _Tina tried her best to gasp for air, but there was no avail. She was immediately strangled to death. The murderer then allowed her corpse to fall onto the cold, hard floor._

" _Tina?..." Hayate's voice called from the other side of the room. "What are you saying? I can't understand yo-"_

 _Unfortunately for Hayate, he was the next victim to be attacked. After when he was also struck by a blunt object, the karate instructor touched his new wound in pain. His body then flinched in surprise since the lights turned on again. He blinked a few times in order to adjust his eyes to the light… And that's when he saw the blurry outline of his attacker…_

 _BANG!_

 _Hayate was hit on the head once more with the blunt object. He fell straight to the ground this time. Unluckily, it wasn't over for the young man since he suddenly felt something sharp pierce his shoulder. A pool of blood eventually surrounded him, and the last thing he heard were some footsteps running in the distance._

… _His vision quickly faded._

* * *

Hitomi tried her best not to cry at the sight of her two deceased friends. It was all so sudden. Tina had just celebrated her victorious win, and Hayate was her longtime friend. She then looked at the two suspects at the other end of the room once more… Rig and Bass were aware of how the situation looked. Hitomi knew this due to their widened eyes and pale faces. Their behaviour was deemed as suspicious to her.

In an instant, Bass let out a loud cry and ran over to his daughter. He tried his best to find a pulse. After finding no sign of life within her, Bass swore angrily and began to shake Tina's dead body. He was desperate to get her back and apologise for arguing with her before in front of everyone.

"Hey!" Hitomi shouted, walking towards him. "Don't touch the bo- Ah!"

The female detective was taken by surprise as the door flung open. Kasumi dragged Ayane inside the room and pointed over to Hayate's body. Acting on her sisterly instincts, Ayane ran over to their dead brother. Kasumi followed.

One close glimpse at Hayate's body was all it took for Kasumi and Ayane to cry. Hitomi made her way over to the girls in order to comfort them. In a way, she knew how they were feeling right now. She was close to him, too.

"Don't cry," Leifang told the two sisters. "I know it's painful, but Hitomi and Eliot will find out who did this."

Hitomi smiled in response. Leifang had a point and Hitomi was glad she was there to motivate her. After all, if there was one thing Hitomi knew, it was that the truth would come out in the end. She believed that she would be able to solve the crimes and avenge the deaths of everyone. She just hoped this would be the last murder.

Eliot then entered the room in a hurry and shut the door behind him. His hair was messy, which told Hitomi that he had to push his way through the large crowd. He let out a gasp when he viewed the bodies. It was a surprise to him that there were two murders.

The British male then looked over at Hitomi. The glint in his eyes told her that they were thinking the same thing. With a sigh, the female detective turned to everyone else in the room.

"I'm afraid you all have to leave this room" she said. "This is officially a murder investigation."

Kasumi sobbed even harder when the word 'murder' was uttered. Ayane placed her arm around her sister's shoulders and slowly led her out of the room. Rig and Leifang followed shortly after. Bass, however, was still distracted by his daughter's corpse. He couldn't believe she was dead.

"You have to leave the room, Bass," Hitomi told him in a soft tone. "We need to figure out who did this to your daughter."

Bass let out a rough sigh and stood up. "Make sure you find the bastard so I can kill him myself."

Hitomi and Eliot watched Bass leave the room with wide eyes. They weren't a fan of his threatening behaviour right now, but they understood why he was feeling that way. After all, his daughter was just murdered. Who could blame him?

Now that everyone was out of the room, Hitomi shut the door and turned around to face the two victims. Tina's body was sprawled out on the ground, whilst Hayate was lying stomach-down on the far end of the room.

"We should inspect Tina's body first since she's the closest to us," Hitomi said.

Eliot nodded and headed over to the body. He grabbed his pen and prepared to write the investigation report on his notepad. He read it out loud as he did so:

 **INVESTIGATION REPORT** **: "The victim is Tina Armstrong. Age: 24. Her body was discovered at 9:16pm in the back room of the D.W.A coliseum. The cause of death was strangulation."**

Hitomi looked at Tina's dead body with sadness. Her last moments alive were possibly spent by thinking nothing but terrible thoughts about her father. She felt sorry for Bass since he would have to live with the regret of their huge fight for the rest of his life.

Hitomi wiped the lone tear that had escaped her eye and proceeded to feel Tina's arm afterwards. Her body was still warm due to being murdered only a few minutes ago. As Hitomi continued inspecting the body, she eventually discovered something odd.

There was **a strange mark on the pro wrestler's neck**. The deep mark told Hitomi that **the object used to strangle Tina was thin and bendable**.

"Ah, you've noticed that, too," Eliot said, referring to the mark. "There is also **a large bump forming on her forehead**."

Hitomi observed the purple bump on Tina's forehead. From what it looked like, Tina was hit on the head first, and then the attacker decided to strangle her. But what was the murder weapon?...

As Hitomi looked around the small room, a figurative light bulb appeared on her head as she spotted a **metal pipe** near Tina's body. What was odd is that there was also **another pipe right next to Hayate's body**.

"I think those two pipes were used to attack Tina and Hayate."

Eliot quickly scanned the room and found the two pipes. "Hm, those two pipes _do_ look suspicious… I agree with you because there is nothing else in this room that seems to be tough enough to form a bruise."

After failing to find any more clues on Tina's body, Eliot decided to inspect Hayate's corpse. Hitomi told him to begin his investigation without her since it was tough for her to see his dead body. She inwardly sighed to herself. She had ten years to tell him how she felt, yet she always chickened out. The karateka desperately wanted another chance to make things right with him.

 **INVESTIGATION REPORT** **: "The victim is Hayate Tenshin. Age: 25. His body was disco- What the…?"**

Hitomi turned her gaze away from Tina's body and looked over towards Eliot. There was a large smile growing on his face. The female detective felt slightly offended since Eliot was smiling next to Hayate's corpse.

"Why on earth are you smiling?"

"Hitomi, he's still alive!"

Hitomi's eyes widened in surprise. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"... What?"

"Hayate is still alive!" Eliot repeated. "Come over here and see for yourself!"

Hitomi got to her feet and quickly dashed over to Hayate's body. She never knew she could run so fast. Either way, the karateka kneeled next to Eliot and inspected Hayate's face. His eyes were closed, yet his mouth was slightly moving. He was barely breathing.

The karateka looked over to where Eliot was pointing. Hitomi frowned as she noticed **two bumps** **forming on Hayate's head**. What was weird is that both bumps were on different sides of the head. Hitomi gathered that **the killer wasn't strong** and needed to attack Hayate twice in order to lower his defense.

Another clue Hitomi laid her eyes upon was **the knife stabbed into Hayate's shoulder**. The female detective came to the conclusion that Hayate was lucky since the shoulder is not a vital organ. However, Hitomi couldn't help but notice the design of the knife. It was black and had some gold embroidery of a dragon onto it. Hitomi lowered her eyes to the ground in deep thought. Where had she seen that dragon before?...

Hitomi's concentration broke when a hand made its way onto her shoulder. She flinched in surprise and noticed that it belonged to Eliot. He frowned at her.

"I've been calling your name for the past minute," he told her. "Anyway, I think we should ask Hayate who the killer is since it's obvious that he was the second person to be attacked."

The karateka thought about what Eliot had said and realised he was right. It was possible that Tina was the first person to be attacked since she was definitely dead. Hayate was most likely attacked second since he was still alive. Hitomi figured that Hayate possibly saw the murderer, which is why he had two different bumps on his head. The murderer was definitely in a hurry.

Hitomi nodded at Eliot and lightly shook Hayate's other shoulder. He let out a light groan. It was clear that the karate instructor was in tremendous pain.

"Hayate…" she began. "Is there any chance that you saw the murderer? This is important."

"Y-Yes…" Hayate mumbled. He was slowly losing consciousness.

Hitomi sighed in relief. "Who is the murderer?! Please tell us!"

Hayate began to mumble some more. "The murderer… is… It is…"

Hitomi and Eliot patiently waited for an answer until they realised that Hayate had passed out.

"CRAP!" Eliot shouted, angrily throwing his notebook across the room.

The karateka was also disappointed since Hayate had lost his consciousness, but there was no point in feeling negative. She tried her best to calm Eliot down and instructed him to take some deep breaths. After when Eliot had calmed down, Hitomi collected the notebook and gave it back to the British man. He took it back with a bashful smile. She could tell he was ashamed of his tempered actions.

The two detectives then turned their heads to the front door of the room. It slowly opened, and Lisa's head soon popped through. Her face was filled with grief as soon as she saw the two bodies of her loved ones.

"Lisa, you can't be in here," Eliot told her.

"I know… but I couldn't help and eavesdrop," she admitted. "I've ordered everyone else to leave, so it's just the three of us here right now. I can call an ambulance, if you'd like? I'm a doctor at the hospital, so I can possibly help Hayate."

"That would be great," Hitomi responded. "Thank you."

Hitomi watched as Lisa made her way out of the room in order to find the nearest phone. She was thankful that the doctor was there, but she couldn't help but also feel wary of her. Something didn't seem right about her actions.

* * *

After when the two bodies were removed from the crime scene, Hitomi grabbed some yellow tape out of her pocket and began to place it around the room. Meanwhile, Eliot began inspecting the room even further until he came across something strange.

"Hitomi…" he called. "Don't you think it's odd that there is **one piece of cable on top of this pile of rope**?"

Hitomi headed over to where Eliot was standing and stared at the pile. The karateka grabbed the long piece of cable and inspected it. **It was thin and bendable** , just like the mark on Tina's neck.

"I believe this was murder weapon used to kill Tina," she said, twirling it around in her hands. "This cable matches the imprint on her neck."

"Hm, so that cable was used to strangle the superstar…" Eliot noted, crossing his arms. "That's quite sick... But still, we need to investigate some more."

Hitomi agreed and continued looking around the room some more. She eventually came across a **main power switch** on the wall. She noticed **it was turned to 'off'**. The German girl immediately called for Eliot to come over so he could inspect it.

"The murderer must have planned to kill Tina in this room the whole time," Eliot guessed. "It's possible they waited for the perfect moment to strike. Lisa clearly knew about the other power switch since she was able to get the power back on in the main room."

"Or… she knew about _both_ power switches and decided to turn it on after when she murdered Tina in the back room," Hitomi replied.

"How would she do that, though?"

"Think about it..." Hitomi told her partner. "The lights were off for about five minutes. That's enough time for Lisa to make her way over to the back room. There, she quickly attacked Tina and Hayate before making her way over to the front room and pretending to fix the power. That way, she wouldn't be a suspect."

"That's ridiculous… But I can see where you're going with this," Eliot admitted. "But why would she try to murder both Tina and Hayate?"

Hitomi had a quick think about it before coming up with an answer. "Well, she and Tina had a huge fight at the party earlier… and she used to date Hayate. Maybe there is some secret grudge she has with him?"

"I… guess you have a point," Eliot shrugged. "Anyway, I think we should take this news back to the police station. I think we've checked everything out."

* * *

When they made their way back to the police station, Hitomi and Eliot were surprised to find Gen Fu still inside the building. He was pouring himself a cup of coffee as the two detectives stopped in their tracks.

"I believe you two are early," Gen Fu said. "Your shift actually starts tomorrow morning."

Hitomi gave out a light chuckle. "Oh, I wish it was that simple… We're actually here to report to you about a murder, as well as an _attempted_ murder that happened at Tina's party."

Gen Fu arched a brow. " _Two_ crimes? How did the attacker succeed with half the town around?"

"The murderer caused a blackout," Eliot told him. He and Hitomi then explained the whole situation to the senior officer in full detail. They could tell he was surprised when they mentioned that Tina was the one who died.

"Very well…" he said, taking a sip of his coffee. "You two need to come up with a list of suspects and interrogate those people."

"I'm glad you've said that, because we have already come up with a list!" Hitomi cheered, unfolding a piece of paper. "We have Lisa Hamilton as a suspect because she used Tina as a false alibi for Kokoro's murder, and they had a fight at the party. There is also Bass Armstrong. He was found inside the room, and he also had a fight with Tina at the party. The fight between them was pretty heated, so it is possible he _may_ have acted on his anger."

Eliot nodded. "We also believe that Rig is a suspect since he was in the room with Bass when Tina was murdered. She also seemed to like him. And speaking of people liking each other... Zack was known to have a strong like for Tina. She has been known to reject him several times, and with the case of Niki leaving him a few months back, it doesn't look good for him."

"Very good," Gen Fu said, clasping his hands together. "Are there any other suspects?"

"Leifang and Tina didn't really get along. They always fought over food and exercise techniques whenever I was in the diner," Eliot added. "So, I'm adding her as a possible suspect."

Hitomi hated that her best friend was a suspect once again, but she had to admit there was a part of her that understood why. It was a known fact that she and Tina never got along. Either way, the karateka wanted to get these interviews over and done with so she could finally start mourning for Tina properly. Right now, she had to be strong and she was fine with that. The only thing keeping her from falling apart right now was that Hayate was still alive.

* * *

As soon as Gen Fu excused the two detectives from their duties, Eliot suggested to Hitomi that they should visit Hayate at the hospital and see how he was currently doing. The German woman agreed since she really wanted to see him again. She was thankful that he was given a second chance at life. Also, Hayate had already confirmed that he had seen the murderer. Maybe he would be able to tell them who it was.

The hospital was located down the road from DOATEC High School. The inside of the building consisted of many levels. The hallways were a pale green colour, and it was currently empty due to the time now being a few minutes shy from midnight. When Eliot and Hitomi found Lisa, she told them that she was currently doing some tests on Hayate since he was still unconscious. The best choice of action she told the pair to do was wait until he was awake.

Hitomi waited in silence as Lisa and the other doctors accompanied Hayate in his private hospital room. Her heart was thumping, and her brain was filled with doubt. She couldn't believe that another murder had occurred. The karateka then looked over to Eliot to see that he was also in deep thought. Her curiosity grew and she couldn't help but want to know what he was thinking.

"What are you thinking about?" she whispered. Even though the halls was empty, it didn't mean that her voice wouldn't travel through the walls.

"I was thinking about the murders," Eliot answered.

"Oh?"

"Think about it, Hitomi," he said. "There is a pattern with all the murders so far… **Each victim has been attacked on the head**."

Hitomi thought back to the previous murders. Rolande's crushed skull, Kokoro's bleeding temple, Tina's bruised forehead, and Hayate's numerous head bumps all filled her mind. She felt sick just thinking about it. And then it clicked to her.

"Are you suggesting that all these murders have been done by one person?" Hitomi asked.

Eliot nodded in response. "Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying."

"If that's true, then our investigation will be a whole lot easier."

"Exactly. All we have to do now is find out who this creep is."

* * *

The clock continued to tick and the next thing Hitomi knew, it was suddenly morning. It didn't even faze her that she and Eliot had been awake all night. One thing she knew for sure, though, was that she needed to consume a lot of caffeine in order to get through the day.

Hitomi spotted Kasumi and Ayane nearby. They arrived around an hour ago. They were sitting patiently on the seats and looked as though they were trying their best not to fall asleep. However, they were suddenly more awake than ever once when they spotted Lisa walking towards them.

"Great news," she told everyone. "Hayate is currently awake."

"So he's fine?" Ayane asked her.

"Yes," Lisa answered. "Only the detectives are allowed to see him right now, but I'm afra-"

Hitomi was too happy to hear the rest of what Lisa had to say and headed inside Hayate's room. The walls were a dark mauve colour, and there was a chair next to the bed. Hitomi made her way over to the chair and sat down. Eliot also made his way inside and shut the door behind him.

"Hayate… I'm so glad to see you!" Hitomi greeted, bursting into tears. She buried her head onto the bed. Oddly enough, he didn't do anything to comfort her. He seemed confused by the situation.

"We're glad you're awake, Hayate," Eliot said with a smile. He then clicked his pen in anticipation. "You said that you saw the murderer before they attacked you… Can you tell us who it is?"

"Please tell us," Hitomi agreed. "You can help us solve the case, and you can also avenge all these deaths. We just need the name of the murderer."

Hitomi frowned at Hayate's silence. He just stared at the wall in front of him, trying to recollect the horrific events from last night.

"Hayate?" Hitomi nudged.

"... Who are you?"

Hitomi's eyes widened in response. She had no idea what was going on, or why Hayate was acting this way.

"Hayate, this isn't funny," Eliot lectured. "Someone just died. You can't just mock their death by pretending to be confused."

"I'm not mocking anyone…" he struggled. He then grasped his injured shoulder in pain. "I have no idea who you are, either."

The karateka glared at the injured man. She had no idea what kind of joke Hayate was playing, but she grabbed Eliot by the wrist and dragged him outside of the room. The German woman led him over to Lisa, who was currently talking to Kasumi and Ayane.

"Why is Hayate acting like he doesn't know us?!" Hitomi demanded.

Eliot grabbed his wrist in pain. "Yeah… he seemed to be really confused."

"That's what I was trying to tell you before you both ran off," Lisa said, rolling her eyes. "I've just explained this to Ayane and Kasumi, but Hayate has-"

"Hayate has amnesia!" Kasumi interrupted. She then began to sob even harder than before. Lisa tried her best to comfort the poor girl.

' _Hayate has… amnesia?'_ Hitomi thought.

This was terrible. Just when it was possible for the situation to get better, it only got much worse. Hayate no longer knew who he was, and Hitomi felt especially bad for his two sisters. He had no exact memory of them anymore.

Overall, the situation was very disappointing. Hayate was the only person that could have helped them clear the case, but now he had no memories at all.

Perfect timing.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _Okay, that's a wrap. I hope some of you are feeling relieved about you-know-who... but then again, the situation is kinda bad._

 _I hope you guys realise why I named this story Breaking Chains now. It's up to Hitomi and Eliot to break the chain of murders._

 _On another note, Eliot and Ayane technically saved Kasumi's life... If Ayane hadn't gotten her out of the backstage room, then she probably would have died as well._

...

 **INVESTIGATION PROCESS #3**

 **Time of murder:** Around 9:10pm

 **Place of murder:** In the D.W.A coliseum

 **Murder Weapon:** Metal pipe and thin cable

 **Who found the body:**?

...

 **INVESTIGATION #3 SUSPECTS**

 **Lisa Hamilton** **: [Suspect because of her recent conflict with Tina / False alibi]**

 **Bass Armstrong** **: [Suspect because of his short temper / Was found at the crime scene]**

 **Rig** **: [Suspect because he was found at the crime scene]**

 **Zack** **: [Suspect because of his one-sided attraction with Tina]**

 **Leifang** **: [Suspect because of her conflict with Tina]**

...

 **INVESTIGATION #3 CLUES**

 **~ Two metal pipes** \- confirmed to be the weapon that caused Tina and Hayate's head injuries.

 **~ Multiple bumps on Hayate's head** \- the attacker isn't strong.

 **~ Knife** \- used to stab Hayate's shoulder. It is black and features a gold dragon. Hitomi has seen this design before, but where?...

 **~ Small piece of black cable** \- found on top of some old ropes. Thin and bendable, just like the mark on Tina's neck. Confirmed to be the murder weapon.

 **~ Main power switch** \- There are two power switches. Switched to 'off' in the back room. Lisa managed to turn it 'on' in the main room. The murderer must know this place well.

 **~ Reoccurring coincidence** \- each victim has been attacked on the head. Therefore, each murder has been done by the same person.

...

 **Explanation #2:** The reason why I killed Tina was because she didn't really have a purpose in the story. I wanted to convey her commitment issues when it came to her career, but that was the only thing I could think of. I thought it was best to get rid of her in an extravagant way... The only thing I regret is not making Tina and Bass be on better terms before her death.

 **Explanation #3:** I had never planned to kill Hayate in this story. The reason why I faked his death was because I wanted to scare the readers and make sure they realise that unexpected things will happen in this story. Also, I needed to fit Hayate's amnesia into the story somehow. And because I feel bad that I scared a few people, I can safely assure you all that Hayate will not be murdered in this story.


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N** **:** _Thank you so much for all the reviews and support on the last chapter! I'm glad to see that people are still reading this story. :)_

 **Disclaimer** **:** _All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 14**

Hitomi stood frozen in the middle of the hospital hallway. She was still shocked at the fact that Hayate had amnesia. This was the worst time for him to forget his memories since it was possible that he saw the murderer before being attacked by them. What she really wanted to know is what caused his amnesia in the first place...

"So, what caused Hayate's amnesia?" Hitomi asked Lisa.

"I would say that the two bumps on his forehead caused it," the doctor answered. "I know he has no memories right now, but it is possible that he might get his memories back sometime soon."

"That's great news!" Kasumi chimed in. She felt slightly more positive as she wiped her tears away.

"It is," Lisa smiled at the fortune teller. "Anyway, since Hitomi and Eliot seem to be done with questioning Hayate, everyone can now visit him."

Without another word, Kasumi and Ayane immediately ran over to Hayate's room. Hitomi felt bad for them since Hayate wouldn't remember anything about them. However, it was possible that seeing a familiar face might trigger some past memories. At least, that's what she learned from watching those tv shows which centred around memory loss.

Now that she was alone with Lisa and Eliot in the empty hallway, Hitomi thought this would be the perfect time to interview the doctor. The German girl knew that Lisa was a busy woman, due to her occupation, so this might be the only chance to interrogate her.

"Lisa… Do you mind if we ask you some questions about last night?" Hitomi asked.

Lisa quickly looked at her wristwatch before answering. "Sure, but I only have a few minutes to spare."

"That's good enough," Eliot replied. "What were you doing while the lights were out?"

"I was making my way through the crowd so I could find the power switch," Lisa answered.

Eliot wrote Lisa's answer down on his notepad. "And how did you know where the power switch in the main room was?"

"I've been at the coliseum plenty of times before. I used to help Tina train there on some nights. But ever since we began to disagree on things, she started training at the gym with other people instead…"

Hitomi decided to add her own question. "We noticed that you were arguing with Tina last night… What was the argument about?"

Lisa sighed. She knew the truth would have to come out sooner or later. "As you both know, I lied about having Tina as an alibi for Kokoro's murder… That's what we were fighting about," she admitted. "She also told me a few weeks ago that she was planning to be a model. Apparently, I was the first person she told. I told her to be careful, and she took it the wrong way."

"And do you mind telling us why you lied about having Tina as an alibi on the night of Kokoro's murder? Where were you that night, exactly?" Hitomi asked.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that," Lisa told her. "But I can assure you both that I am not the murderer."

The fact that Lisa refused to reveal where she was on the night of Kokoro's murder made Hitomi feel even more suspicious. The female detective definitely thought she was guilty.

"Well, I'd better get going, if you two don't mind," Lisa said. "The patient in room 4E needs me to check on their vital levels."

As soon as Lisa was out of earshot, Hitomi turned to Eliot. From the look on his face, the British man also seemed doubtful about the information Lisa had given them.

"Do you believe her?" Hitomi asked.

"Not really," Eliot answered. "Why would an innocent person refuse to reveal their proper alibi? It just doesn't make sense."

"I agree. What should we do now?"

"I think we should interview Bass," the blond male replied. "He was found in the room along with Rig, so that's suspicious enough as it is."

Hitomi nodded in agreement. She was determined to solve Tina's murder case. "Let's go."

* * *

When the detective duo arrived at Bass' mansion, Hitomi sighed in relief. There, in the distance, was Bass' red motorcycle. She knew he was home because wherever the pro wrestler went, his bike always tagged along. As she and Eliot headed out of the police car, the female detective gulped as she saw the word 'Tina' imprinted on the front of the motorcycle. She had no idea how Bass would cope riding his own vehicle without going crazy now.

It didn't take long for Bass to answer the front door. Eliot stared up at the pro wrestler in fear. His hair was tangled, his dirty blond beard was unkempt, and his lips turned to a snarl.

"What do you two want?! Can't you see I'm mourning here?!"

"Bass, there is no need to be angry," Hitomi said, presenting her detective badge to him. "We would just like to ask you some ques-"

"How can I not be angry when you think I murdered my daughter?!" the pro wrestler interrupted. "I have no time for your bullshit!"

Bass attempted to slam the door in their faces, but Hitomi's foot luckily stopped him from doing so. "Let us in so we can question you. Ignoring us and acting all tough isn't going to help you."

Bass paused and looked at the detectives. He then grumbled something to himself just before allowing them to step through.

Hitomi gasped at the view around her. The walls of the front room were a cream colour, and blue chairs accompanied some parts of the room. Despite Bass' dishevelled appearance, the room was neat and tidy. A coffee table was also nearby. From what Hitomi could see, there seemed to be some cassette tapes on top. Due to the large pile of scrunched tissues next to it, the German girl assumed they were Tina's childhood videos.

Bass led them over to the dining room and sat down in one of the empty chairs. He ushered for Hitomi and Eliot to do the same. Once they did as they were told, Eliot cleared his throat before proceeding to interview Bass.

"What happened after your fight with Tina?"

"I spoke with Rig and he tried to help me calm down… _He failed_ ," Bass gulped. "I ended up kicking some fancy statues outside…"

Eliot gave the man a weird look as he wrote the events down in his notebook. "Okay. Go on…"

"After that, we started talking more and I was calm again. That's when I went back inside. Then, the lights went off... " Bass explained. "That's when I made my way over to the back room. I knew Tina was in there, so I felt my way around the walls and then the lights went back on."

"What happened after that?" Hitomi asked.

"The lights were on again in the main room, so I entered the backstage through the second door. That's when I found the bodies and screamed."

"That explains the manly scream we heard…" Hitomi noted. "How do we know you didn't enter the room while the lights were off?"

"... I don't know what to say to that… But I didn't kill my daughter! And I didn't attack that other guy, either!"

"We want to believe you, but it's hard without an alibi, Mr. Armstrong," Eliot told him.

"And why was Rig in the room with you?" Hitomi asked. "Was he your alibi?"

"No," Bass answered. "I told him I was going to the room without him and when I went there, he was already inside as well... But he was standing against the third door."

"Hmm… That sounds like something we might need to check out," Hitomi told Eliot. Then she turned to Bass. "We'll keep in touch."

"You sure as hell better do that," he grumbled. "Rig usually works at the bar, so he might be there. Anyway, you two better get going. I have old videos to watch."

Hitomi's eyes felt heavy as Bass said that. She instantly knew he was referring to Tina's childhood videos.

"Thank you for the information. We will question Rig as soon as we find him."

* * *

As it turned out, Taylor's Bar was was placed on the other side of DOATEC City. The interior of the building looked like any other bar. There were a group of friends buying rounds for one another and competing by chugging shots from their miniature glasses. Some young men were surrounding a pool table at the corner of the room, and Hitomi thought she saw Brad Wong dancing in the middle of the room. She sighed and shook her head in amusement as she realised that it _was_ him. Eliot observed his roommate from afar. He was clearly embarrassed to be associated with him. After all, it was only noon and the man was already drunk.

Hitomi plugged her nose with her hand due to the awful aroma of alcohol and cigarettes. This definitely wasn't her type of environment. Her eyes then widened with joy as she spotted Rig behind the bar. He was currently serving an aged man a schooner. She headed over to the empty side of the bar and took a seat. Eliot joined her.

A smug smile appeared on Rig's face as he noticed the two detectives. He approached them and decided to play it cool.

"What can I get for you both?" he greeted, pointing at the menu board behind him. "Some vodka? Margaritas? Gin and tonic?"

"How about an interview?" Hitomi teased.

"... I guess I can do that," the bartender said with a sigh. "What would you like to know?"

"What was your exact relationship with Tina?" the German girl asked.

"Well… Apparently she liked me, but I couldn't act on it. Bass is one of my pals, and I don't need him down my back all the time… Not that I can't handle him though- because I can."

"And why were you in the room when the bodies were found?" Eliot asked.

"Bass mumbled something when the lights were out. I couldn't hear him, so I just assumed he left the party. He disappeared, so I made my way over to the back room so I could tell Tina I was going home," Rig explained. "Then the lights turned on and I entered the room…"

Rig trailed off and Hitomi couldn't help but feel cautious about him. Like every other time he's explained himself, something didn't seem right. What was he hiding?...

"And what was your relationship with Hayate? He was also attacked," Hitomi told him.

Rig scratched the back of his head. He looked nervous. "I know this will make me look even more suspicious, but… Hayate and I can't stand each other."

Rig was right. It did make him appear even more suspicious.

"Why do you two dislike each other?" Hitomi asked.

"I can't tell you that," the bartender replied. "It's not important."

Hitomi glared at the man. "It _is_ important if you want to clear your na-"

"I said _it's not important_ ," Rig interrupted. He had a dark glint in his eyes, which made Hitomi not dare to push him any further. If he was the murderer, then she might be the next victim if she continued to interrogate him. It didn't help that he lived right next door to her.

* * *

When they made it back to the car, Hitomi and Eliot scanned through the notebook. The female detective furrowed her brows as she read every answer they were given so far. She knew they were getting nowhere since every suspect seemed to be really suspicious at this point. She sighed as she put her seatbelt on.

"Who should we interview next?"

"We have two people left: Zack and Leifang," Eliot explained, placing the key in the ignition. "Who would you prefer?"

"I think Zack might be a good start," Hitomi answered, retrieving her phone out of her breast pocket.

Hitomi proceeded to call Zack as Eliot began to drive. She ended up asking him about his whereabouts and he told her he was currently training at the gym with someone. The German girl assumed the person was a woman since Zack was known to try and impress every female whenever he was at the gym. Once when she hung up on the DJ, Hitomi instructed Eliot to drive there.

When they arrived at the gym, Hitomi and Eliot headed inside and their ears were immediately filled with loud, upbeat music. The two detectives spotted Zack next to the punching bag. He was helping Mila with her punches.

A wide smile appeared on Zack's face as Hitomi and Eliot approached him. He seemed to be oblivious at the fact that he was about to be questioned.

"Hey, I knew you would come here!" he laughed. "Wanna spar a little? Mila and I can take you both on."

"Maybe later because Eliot and I are on duty right now," Hitomi replied. Although a huge part of her wanted to train, she needed to put her job first. "Why are you two here, anyway?"

"I'm distracting Mila from Tina's… uh…" Zack trailed off.

"Death. You can say it, Zack," Mila sniffled. She then turned her attention to the two detectives. "We've been training all day and Zack has really cleared my mind with all this sparring."

"That's great, Mila," Hitomi smiled at the MMA fighter. Her focus then turned to Zack. "You're currently a suspect because of your relationship with Tina."

"What? Me?" Zack asked, clearly shocked. "We were friends!"

"Yes, but she also rejected you many times," Eliot told the man. "And with Niki leaving you, maybe there's a part of you that can't take rejection anymore… Maybe you decided to kill her."

"Nah man, it ain't me," Zack replied. "Besides, I was in the main room with everyone else. I was near those two girls. What were their names?... Uh… Marie Rose and… Honoka... I think?"

Hitomi knew who Marie Rose was, due to meeting her a few times. She had no idea who Honoka was, though.

"Honoka?..." she asked.

"Yeah. Short girl, pink hair, massive boo-"

Mila intervened by punching Zack's gut. "You shouldn't be talking about a young girl with disrespect!"

"I-I'm… sorry!" Zack choked. He clutched his gut in pain.

Hitomi thought back to Tina's party. Now that she recalled, she did see a short girl with pink hair. Her back was facing the German girl, but she was most likely this Honoka girl Zack had described.

"Okay, well this information is actually really useful," Hitomi smiled. "I need to find at least one of the two girls in order to confirm your alibi, but it should be easy peasy."

"Alright, great!" Zack cheered, forgetting about his aching gut. He then clutched it once more when the pain kicked in. "Make sure you find out who did this. We're counting on you two!"

"N-No pressure…" Eliot frowned as they exited the gym.

Like Eliot, Hitomi could also feel the pressure. There were now three murder cases to solve, and she really hoped that another one wouldn't happen soon. There was a huge part of her that was hoping that Eliot's theory was correct: that there was one murderer behind all of this. If that was the case, then everything would be slightly easier to solve.

The female detective suggested that they should visit Leifang at the diner next since she was the remaining suspect. She didn't like to think of her best friend as a suspect, but she couldn't appear biased. If she did, then her job would be on the line.

When they entered the diner, Hitomi and Eliot weren't surprised to find it empty. Leifang was trying to pick a song for the jukebox to play. Once when she realised she had customers, she frowned when she realised it was the two detectives. She immediately knew what this meant.

"Am I a suspect for Tina's death?" she asked.

"Only because of your relationship with her," Eliot replied. "Do you have an alibi that can confirm your whereabouts?"

Leifang nodded in response. "Yeah. Jann Lee. We were dancing together until the lights went off. He tried to protect me from the people in the crowd when everyone was pushing each other."

Hitomi wrote the information down in the notebook. "We'll find Jann Lee later. I'm sure he can confirm your alibi."

"Thanks, Hitomi," the waitress smiled. Her face then fell. "Look, you both know I hated Tina, but it's not like I wanted her to die. That's crazy!"

"I know, but we need to keep an open eye on everyone," Eliot told her. "We will find Jann Lee as soon as we can."

Eliot then made his way out of the diner. After revealing one last smile to Leifang, Hitomi followed after her partner.

"Where should we go now?" she asked him.

"Well, we've spoken to every suspect, so I think we're done for the day… Where would you like to go?"

"Umm… The hospital, maybe? I'd really like to see Hayate again."

"Really?" Eliot asked. "Are you sure you don't want to go home and sleep? We've been up all night."

"I know, but he's my friend. I should be there for him," Hitomi answered.

"Alright, I'll drive you there, then," Eliot chuckled. "I'm afraid I can't go inside with you since I'm desperate to sleep. Hopefully Brad won't be home because he likes making a lot of noise…"

* * *

After when they arrived at the hospital, Hitomi got out of the car and exchanged her goodbyes with Eliot. She found that the inside of the hospital was much busier this time around. The German girl checked her watch. It was only 4:38pm.

A small smile appeared on Hitomi's face as she spotted Kasumi and Ayane exiting Hayate's hospital room. She ran over to them in order to find out any information.

"How is Hayate doing?"

Kasumi looked up at Hitomi. Her eyes were slightly red. "He's… He's doing alright… I just wish he could get his memories back…"

The auburn haired girl then bursted into a fit of sobs. Hitomi reached over to hug her.

"It's going to be okay," she hushed. "Do you remember what Lisa said this morning?... She said there is a chance that he will get his memories back. Maybe looking at more familiar faces will do the trick."

Kasumi immediately stopped sobbing and let herself go from the detective's embrace. "Hitomi, you're a genius!" she exclaimed. "I need to make a phone call!"

Hitomi looked in wonder as the young girl ran down the hall. Her pink summer dress floated behind as she made her way through the small crowd. The German girl then looked over at Ayane. She was emotionless.

"Do you know who Kasumi is calling?"

"How should I know?" Ayane shrugged. "It's not like we're telepathic in any way."

"You're right. I'm sorry," Hitomi apologised. "... Is Hayate allowed to have any more visitors, or is he sleeping?"

"You can go and see him if you want," Ayane replied. "I need to go home, anyway. Well… until I find Kasumi, that is."

Hitomi lightly chuckled to herself as Ayane made her way down the hallway. She still wasn't used to the idea of Ayane and Kasumi being on civil terms. Shaking her head, Hitomi made her way inside Hayate's room and shut the door behind her. She sat on the visitor's chair with a smile.

"Hi, Hayate," she greeted. "Is there a chance you… remember anything yet?"

"No," he groaned. He tried to sit upright but struggled,

Hitomi worried as Hayate clutched his head. "Are you okay? Do you want me to call you a nurse?"

"N-No… I'm fine… My head just hurts a little."

"If you say so," Hitomi smirked. "You know, you were like this as well when you had your memories. You never accepted any help."

Hayate looked at Hitomi with a blank expression. "I don't need any help. People should be asking _me_ for help… not the other way around."

Hitomi rolled her eyes at the young man. Even though he no longer had his memories, Hayate was still as vain as ever. In a way, Hitomi felt like that was a good sign. It felt like there was a part of the old him that was still there.

The detective was planning to speak to Hayate some more, but her actions were interrupted as a nurse entered the room. She was wearing a normal nurse uniform, however, what made it stand out was the pink stitching on each side. The young woman was short, and had pink hair that was cropped just below her shoulders. Hitomi immediately recognised her as Honoka; the mysterious girl from the party.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she bowed. "I didn't know Hayate had any more visitors."

"That's okay. I was about to leave, anyway," Hitomi smiled. "You're Honoka, right?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am! Do… Do we know each other?" Honoka asked.

"No, but I know _of_ you," the detective answered. She then presented her badge to the nurse. "I'm a detective for the DOATEC City Police Station. I actually need to ask you something, if that's okay."

Honoka began to tremble. "Am… Am I in trouble?!"

"No! Not at all!" Hitomi panicked. She felt bad for giving Honoka the wrong impression. "I just need you to confirm an alibi."

"Oh… Of course," the young woman smiled. "Just let me record Hayate's levels, and then I can help you."

"No problem. I'll wait for you outside," Hitomi said, now making her way out of the room.

It didn't take long until Honoka joined Hitomi in the hallway. The detective led her over to some empty seats against the wall. They both took a seat and Hitomi quickly grabbed her notebook out.

"Zack told me earlier today that he was with you and Marie Rose during the time when Tina was murdered. Is this true?"

Honoka nodded. "Yes. He was trying to dance with Marie Rose and myself. When the lights went out, something grabbed onto my chest… When the lights turned on, I saw that it was Zack's h-hands…" she shuddered at the memory. "Then we heard someone scream from one of the other rooms."

"Thank you for telling me," Hitomi said, attempting to smile. "You have been very helpful, _and_ you have just cleared Zack's name."

"I'm glad to have been of help!" Honoka cheered. She then stood up. "Well… I'd better get back to work. I might get fired if I'm caught sitting down."

Hitomi watched as Honoka headed over to the next room. She sighed as she wrote Honoka's account in her notebook. For once in his life, Zack's pervy actions had actually saved him and gained him an alibi in the process. On the plus side, at least the flamboyant DJ was off the hook.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Leave a review if you want. They're super fun to read!_

...

 **INVESTIGATION PROCESS #3**

 **Time of murder:** Around 9:10pm

 **Place of murder:** In the D.W.A coliseum

 **Murder Weapon:** Metal pipe and thin cable

 **Who found the body:**?

...

 **INVESTIGATION #3 SUSPECTS (UPDATED)**

 **Lisa Hamilton** **: [Suspect because of her recent conflict with Tina / False alibi]** Claims she was making her way through the crowd to find the main power switch. No alibi.

 **Bass Armstrong** **: [Suspect because of his short temper / Was found at the crime scene]** Claims he spoke to Rig and then made his way to the back room. No alibi.

 **Rig** **: [Suspect because he was found at the crime scene]** Says he was separated from Bass during the blackout and made his way to the back room. No alibi.

 **Zack** **: [Suspect because of his one-sided attraction with Tina]** He was with Honoka and Marie Rose during the blackout ( _confirmed by Honoka_ )

 **Leifang** **: [Suspect because of her conflict with Tina]** Says she was with Jann Lee the entire time ( _needs to be confirmed_ )

...

 **INVESTIGATION #3 CLUES**

 **~ Two metal pipes** \- confirmed to be the weapon that caused Tina and Hayate's head injuries.

 **~ Multiple bumps on Hayate's head** \- the attacker isn't strong.

 **~ Knife** \- used to stab Hayate's shoulder. It is black and features a gold dragon. Hitomi has seen this design before, but where?...

 **~ Small piece of black cable** \- found on top of some old ropes. Thin and bendable, just like the mark on Tina's neck. Confirmed to be the murder weapon.

 **~ Main power switch** \- There are two power switches. Switched to 'off' in the back room. Lisa managed to turn it 'on' in the main room. The murderer must know this place well.

 **~ Reoccurring coincidence** \- each victim has been attacked on the head. Therefore, each murder has been done by the same person.


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N** **:** _Exactly one year ago, I published the prologue of this story on this site. It's honestly amazing how time flies!_ _One of my New Years Resolutions for 2017 was to finish writing this story, so I'm trying my best to do that. As of right now, I only have 31 days to complete this goal. Hopefully I can do it._

 _ **Disclaimer** **:** All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 15**

A few days had passed since Honoka had confirmed Zack's alibi. Since then, Hitomi had been working her usual shifts with Eliot. When she wasn't working, the karateka always found herself at the diner. She would occasionally go there to chat with Leifang since she always seemed to be working. Hitomi even made sure to warn Zack not to grope any other female again. He nodded in understanding since he didn't want to be put in jail.

Today was Hitomi's day off from work, but that didn't mean she had to be lazy. After her morning karate session in the lounge room, she invited Eliot over so they could do some more private investigating.

It was around 9am when Eliot arrived. He covered his ears with his hands since Rig's music proved to be too much for him again. However, the British man decided to ignore it and not approach Rig since he didn't want to cause any trouble. Hitomi believed that Eliot was secretly afraid of him.

"Okay," he said, spreading his notes all over the table. "So far, we know that each victim has a bump on the head."

"We also have this knife that was planted in Hayate's shoulder," Hitomi added, holding a clear zip bag. The bloodied weapon was inside.

"I've seen that dragon before, but I don't know where…" Eliot pondered.

Hitomi looked at the black and gold dragon pattern on the knife. She had also seen this pattern before.

"I have seen it, too, actually," she said. "We just need to figure out where…"

"The sooner we find out the better, because this might be a clue," Eliot concluded.

Hitomi agreed. She then collected some photographs from her backpack and laid them on the table. They were headshots of each of the most suspicious suspects so far.

"Here we have Lisa, Bass, and Rig. Each of these people are tall - just like the silhouette that entered the diner to kill Kokoro," Hitomi said.

"I remember," Eliot nodded. "Brad was the one who saw the figure enter the diner."

"Exactly. They all had a reason to murder Tina and possibly Hayate."

Before Eliot could answer, a knocking sound came from the door. Hitomi quickly placed the photographs into her backpack just before answering the door. She wasn't surprised to see that it was Rig. After all, he was her next door neighbour.

"Hey. I just came to ask if I could borrow some milk? I didn't realise my carton was empty again."

Hitomi rolled her eyes playfully and allowed the bartender to step through. This was the fourth time he had asked her for milk this month.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it," he said, opening the fridge. "If I don't get my morning coffee, then I'm usually crabby for the rest of the day."

"I can tell," Hitomi commented, referring to his behaviour at Taylor's bar the other day.

Eliot couldn't help but observe Rig's choice of clothing as he poured some milk into a cup. He was wearing his usual grey, sleeveless hoodie. It was unzipped, which gave Eliot a clear view to all of his tattoos. He eventually came across something he hadn't noticed before.

"That's a nice dragon tattoo you have there," he pointed out.

Hitomi looked over at the dragon tattoo. It was visible on Rig's right ribcage. She remembered when Leifang pointed it out when they first met Rig. The awkward look on his face at the time was unforgettable.

"Oh, this?" he replied, pointing at the tattoo. "I had this one done a few years ago by a friend of mine."

"Why did you get it? Is it symbolic?" Hitomi asked eagerly.

"Not really," Rig answered. "I used to be in a gang… We weren't known for doing good things. But I left and decided to come here to start fresh."

"Well, I'm glad that you decided to change and be good," Hitomi smiled.

"It's kind of hard when half the town judges you and accuses you of murder," Rig shrugged, making his way out. "Thanks for the milk."

Hitomi felt guilty as Rig closed the door behind him. She felt bad because she was one of the many people who were suspecting him of murder. The karateka tried her best to distract herself by focusing on the knife once more.

"Rig's tattoo kind of resembles the pattern on the knife..." Hitomi stated.

"I think they might be linked," Eliot replied. "What if the knife was some special weapon in the gang?"

"You might have a point, but I think we need to observe the pattern some more. We don't want to accuse the wrong person."

Eliot knew Hitomi had a point, so he decided to forget about the knife and focus on the suspects instead. Hitomi also thought that was a good idea. Thinking about the knife could possibly distract them from the case. They decided to look through Bass' portfolio instead and work from there.

* * *

After when Eliot had gone home, Hitomi had nothing else to do so she decided to cook some lunch. As soon as her stomach was full, the karateka made her way over to the hospital. When she arrived, she was surprised to see a familiar face in the hallway.

"Ryu?"

The tall man turned his head to Hitomi as his name was called. It _was_ him. The German girl smiled and approached Ryu. He hadn't changed much since she last saw him. The only major difference was that he had grown his hair out. It was held in a low ponytail and it complimented his outfit.

"Why are you here? I thought you were in Japan."

"I arrived last night," Ryu told her. "Kasumi notified me of Tina's murder and that Hayate was attacked. Apparently he has amnesia?"

"That's correct. I'm assuming that Kasumi called you because she thinks a familiar face might trigger his memories?" Hitomi guessed. She remembered their conversation from the other night.

"Exactly. I'm just glad he's alive. I headed on the first available flight."

"You're such a good friend. But what about your father?"

"He agreed to let me go. He thinks it will be good for me to see some old friends again."

"Well, I'm glad you're back," Hitomi smiled. "I'll walk with you to Hayate's room. I'm actually here to visit him as well."

Hitomi really hoped that seeing Ryu would trigger Hayate's memories. Even a small memory would be good to remember. She missed having the old Hayate back and she just wanted another chance in order to possibly be with him.

As Hitomi and Ryu were about to enter the hospital room, a voice had interrupted them. The pair both turned around to find Lisa heading towards them. She was on the other side of the hallway.

"Do you know her?" Ryu asked.

"Yes. She's Hayate's doctor," Hitomi answered. "They… also dated for a while."

Ryu quickly scanned Lisa up and down before turning to Hitomi. "I'll go inside and talk to Hayate."

As soon as Ryu shut the door behind him, Hitomi headed over to Lisa. She was wearing her black, square-framed glasses this time and clutched a clipboard against her chest.

"I'm so glad you're here," she huffed. "Are there any leads on Tina's death yet?"

"We have a few suspects so far," Hitomi answered. Unfortunately for Lisa, she was one of them.

"I'm happy to hear that. Tina and I have been best friends ever since high sch- Ah!"

Lisa yelped as something made its way between her legs. She was infuriated to find that it was a small, white puppy. It ran around the hallway with glee. Hitomi, on the other hand, smiled at the sight in front of her. She had always loved dogs.

"I didn't know animals were allowed in the hospital."

"They're not..." Lisa muttered. She was glaring at the dog.

Honoka soon appeared in the hallway and ran over towards the dog. She picked it up and snuggled it against her fluffy coat. However, her face fell once she saw how angry Lisa was.

"I-I'm so sorry!"

"What is the meaning of this, Honoka?!" Lisa snapped. "You know there are no dogs allowed in this hospital. They will bother the patients!"

Honoka looked as though she was trying not to cry. "I didn't know he was going to run inside," she replied. "I… I let him off his leash for one second as I put my coat on… He must have run inside while the door was still open. I'm so sorry! Please don't fire me!"

"I'm not going to fire you. Just don't bring him here anymore," Lisa warned her. "This is the second time he's come inside."

"What's his name?" Hitomi asked, petting the dog. "He's so cute!"

"His name is Bankotsubo," Honoka smiled. "He's a Pomeranian and he was a birthday present from my grandmother." **[1]**

"Oh, I've always wanted a dog. You're so lucky," Hitomi replied.

"Ladies… Maybe you could have this conversation _outside_? We can't have the dog in here," Lisa reminded.

"You're right. I'm sorry, again," Honoka bowed. "I'm going home now since my shift is over. Goodbye!"

"Ugh, I cannot stand animals," Lisa shuddered. She then took one last look at Hitomi. "I'd better head over to level 7. You can visit Hayate now, if you'd like."

Hitomi made her way over to Hayate's hospital room and formed a smug smile at the befallen karate instructor. She noticed that Ryu was sitting in the visitor's chair. As soon as he saw her, he stood up so she could sit down instead. The German girl smiled in gratitude as she sat down.

"So, do you remember Ryu?" she asked Hayate. "He's your best friend."

Hayate frowned and shook his head. "No."

Hitomi's face fell at his answer. "Oh…"

"I wouldn't worry about it, Hitomi," Ryu said. "People with amnesia usually get their memories back."

"I hope that's the case," Hayate replied. "I really want to help out with this investigation. The murderer was smart to take away my memories…"

"Actually, I'm sure they originally planned to kill you, but it's good that you're still alive," Hitomi said.

Hayate's face paled. "Wh-What?... How dare they!"

Hitomi chuckled to herself. His sudden change of attitude reminded her of the old Hayate.

After a few more minutes of small talk between the three friends, the door to Hayate's room suddenly opened. Lisa stepped inside and clicked her pen once she made her way over to Hayate's bed.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I forgot to update Hayate's vital levels on my clipboard."

Hitomi and Ryu stepped aside as Lisa began her inspection. After when the doctor had recorded Hayate's levels, she quickly checked the bumps on his forehead as well as the wound on his shoulder.

"How does this feel?" she asked, pressing her gloved fingers against his injured shoulder.

Hayate grunted in response. "I'm f-fi… Ugh!"

Lisa chuckled as she recorded something else on the clipboard. "I'm guessing it feels pretty bad."

The doctor made her way to the door, but something stopped her along the way. Her brown eyes made their way onto the whiteboard which was above Hayate's head. She noticed something peculiar about it.

"You know, you've been here for a week and your name still isn't on the whiteboard," she noted. "I'll fix that for you so it can feel a little more home-y in here."

Lisa bent over Hayate's bed in order to reach the whiteboard. The karate instructor tried his best to avert his eyes from her chest which was hovering above him. Once when she was done, she smiled at him and dusted her hands.

"There you go. I hope you like it."

Hayate tried his best to turn around without adding more pressure to his shoulder. His name was written on the miniature whiteboard in Lisa's cursive handwriting. He turned around to her once more and smiled with gratitude.

"You're the best, Lisa. Thanks."

"It's no problem," she smiled. Lisa then realised that they weren't the only two people in the room and flattened the crinkles on her skirt. "Um… I'd better get going. Keep drinking water and get plenty of rest, Hayate. I'll check back on you tonight."

Hayate continued to smile in a goofy manner as Lisa shut the door behind her. Hitomi didn't notice she was glaring at the door until Ryu pointed it out to her.

The karateka didn't understand why she was so jealous. Did Hayate always look at Lisa like that when they were together? Did he always laugh like that whenever he was around her? What made her even more sad was the realisation that he never looked at her like that. Hitomi wasn't the type to get jealous, but she couldn't help but feel heartbroken.

She just wanted the old Hayate back.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _Thanks for reading! I hope you guys like that Ryu is finally back in town._

...

 **INVESTIGATION PROCESS #3**

 **Time of murder:** Around 9:10pm

 **Place of murder:** In the D.W.A coliseum

 **Murder Weapon:** Metal pipe and thin cable

 **Who found the body:**?

...

 **INVESTIGATION #3 SUSPECTS**

 **Lisa Hamilton** **: [Suspect because of her recent conflict with Tina / False alibi]** Claims she was making her way through the crowd to find the main power switch. No alibi.

 **Bass Armstrong** **: [Suspect because of his short temper / Was found at the crime scene]** Claims he spoke to Rig and then made his way to the back room. No alibi.

 **Rig** **: [Suspect because he was found at the crime scene]** Says he was separated from Bass during the blackout and made his way to the back room. No alibi.

 **Zack** **: [Suspect because of his one-sided attraction with Tina]** He was with Honoka and Marie Rose during the blackout ( _confirmed by Honoka_ )

 **Leifang** **: [Suspect because of her conflict with Tina]** Says she was with Jann Lee the entire time ( _needs to be confirmed_ )

...

 **INVESTIGATION #3 CLUES (UPDATED)**

 **~ Two metal pipes** \- confirmed to be the weapon that caused Tina and Hayate's head injuries.

 **~ Multiple bumps on Hayate's head** \- the attacker isn't strong.

 **~ Knife** \- used to stab Hayate's shoulder. It is black and features a gold dragon. Hitomi has seen this design before, but where?...

 **~ Small piece of black cable** \- found on top of some old ropes. Thin and bendable, just like the mark on Tina's neck. Confirmed to be the murder weapon.

 **~ Main power switch** \- There are two power switches. Switched to 'off' in the back room. Lisa managed to turn it 'on' in the main room. The murderer must know this place well.

 **~ Reoccurring coincidence** \- each victim has been attacked on the head. Therefore, each murder has been done by the same person.

 **~ Dragon pattern** \- The symbol on the knife that was used to stab Hayate. One of Rig's tattoos is a dragon.

...

 **[1] -** I just _had_ to give a reference to Tengu! I thought it would be the perfect name for Honoka's puppy.

...

 **Explanation #4:** Okay, so the main reason why I sent Ryu away in the prologue was to bring him back later on for Hayate's amnesia. I wanted to show that even the most familiar face may not be enough for Hayate to recover. Ryu isn't going to be a major character in this story, but he will appear in a few scenes. Also, I'm going to straight up confirm that he is not the murderer. That would be a super catty thing to do to you guys since he's barely been in the story so far.

* * *

 _I thought it would be best to include a death count from now on so the order doesn't get confusing._

 **Death count:** Maria Douglas, Rolande, Kokoro, Tina Armstrong.


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N** **:** _I wanted to update this story one more time before before the New Year, so here it is! Hope you all enjoy it._

 _ **Disclaimer** **:** All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

 **WARNING : If you are easily disturbed, then it is best that you skip this chapter. Read at your own risk.**

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 16**

Hitomi was surprised when Eliot called her on the phone. She had accepted his invitation to visit his home. The reason he wanted to meet with her was so they could continue their investigation together. So far, they had three main suspects. All they had to do was figure out which one of them was the murderer.

When Hitomi arrived at Eliot's home, she observed the area. She was currently standing in the middle of a cobblestone courtyard. Apartments made of wood and stone surrounded the circular area. Some of the rooms appeared to be deserted. Overall, the area seemed to be a Chinese themed housing complex.

After being greeted by Eliot, he led her over to the dining table. As she took a seat, Hitomi observed the room around her. The interior, just like the outside, consisted of wood and stone. The counters in the kitchen had a green and pink checkered theme to it, and there was a small, brown carpet in the middle of the room.

Eliot made his way over to the kitchen in order to help Brad, who was attempting to cook something. Due to the living room and kitchen being a shared room, Hitomi was able to hear their conversation. After instructing Brad to be careful with the cooking, Eliot took a seat across from the karateka.

"Sorry about that," he chuckled. "Brad wanted to cook for you today and needed my assistance with the recipe."

"That's so sweet of him," Hitomi smiled. She then turned around to face the Chinese man. "Thank you, Brad!"

Brad, who was now chopping some carrots, looked over his shoulder and wriggled his eyebrows at Hitomi. Her smile immediately disappeared as he made his way over to her. He placed an arm over the back of her chair and leaned in front of her so their faces were only inches apart.

"What do you say we get rid of the kid and eat this food together?... Just the two of us."

Hitomi could smell the alcohol on his breath and it overwhelmed her. "Uh… erm… I, uh-"

"Brad…" Eliot warned.

"Sorry, sorry!" Brad chuckled, putting his arms up in defense. "I was only kidding… _mostly_."

"Brad, you should go away and let us ta... BRAD!" Eliot screamed. His eyes widened as he pointed at something behind the drunk man.

Brad and Hitomi turned around and their mouths opened in shock. There, right in front of their eyes, was a small fire spreading on top of the stove. In an instant, Eliot ran over to the fire and threw some dirty rags on top of the fire. Luckily, the flames were gone, but the food was severely burned.

"You are never cooking ever again!" The British man yelled at Brad. He then looked inside the fridge for more food. All he found was a bottle of milk. "Seriously?!"

Hitomi frowned at the fact that there was no food inside the fridge. This reminded her of her first day back in town when she, too, had an empty fridge.

"We should go to the Seaside Market and do some shopping. You two can't go without food. That's absolutely insane!"

"I'm not sure, Hitomi..." Eliot began. "We have to investigate this case some more."

"Yes, but we also need to refresh our minds," she replied. "You're clearly angry and won't be able to pay attention until you're calm again."

Eliot had a thought about it. "You're right… Okay, let's go!"

"I'm coming, too!" Brad cheered. He placed the frying pan inside the sink and made his way over to the duo.

"I think you should stay here, Brad," Eliot replied. "We don't want you causing more trouble."

Brad sighed in response. "Fine. I know when I'm not wanted… I'll just take a nap instead."

Eliot smiled in appreciation as Brad headed over to his room. He was glad that the drunk man was obedient for once. The detective then grabbed his keys from the coffee table and ushered Hitomi over to his car.

* * *

After a good hour of shopping, Eliot stumbled along the sidewalk as he was now carrying a large variety of bags. During their spree, Hitomi ended up recommending a lot of products to Eliot, which he greatly appreciated. However, just when the British man thought they were finally done, the karateka led him over to Muramasa's store.

"Look at those cabbages, Eliot!" she gasped. "You need to buy a cabbage!"

"O-Okay… Sure..." he struggled.

Following the events of purchasing the cabbage, Hitomi offered to hold the paper bag since Eliot's hands were full. Then they made their way towards the entrance of the Seaside Market so they could go home. Rig and Bass were nearby. However, Hitomi stopped in her tracks as she remembered something.

"I forgot! We should buy a plant for you and Brad."

"Why?" Eliot asked her. He was utterly confused.

"To give more life to your house, of course," she cheered, turning around and dragging him with her once more.

The duo eventually made their way over to Leon's stall. It wasn't busy, compared to the other stalls around him. He was currently serving Lisa.

"Hey, Lisa. What are you buying?" Hitomi asked her.

"Just a normal potted plant," the doctor answered. "I've been interested in the studies of photosynthesis lately and would like to research it some more."

"That's a great idea," Hitomi replied. "We're just here to buy a flower for Eliot."

"Flowers are a lovely adaption to any environment," Lisa said. She then paid Leon her fee and turned her attention back to Hitomi. "Well, I'd better get going… I need to do a lot of tasks today."

Hitomi watched Lisa with curiosity as she hurriedly made her way through the growing crowd. The karateka then turned her attention to Leon. He stared at her with a cold expression.

"What do you want to buy?"

"J-Just a plant, please..." Hitomi answered. She was startled by his cold attitude, but had a feeling he was angry for a reason. "What's the matter?"

Leon crossed his arms in an intimidating fashion and huffed. "Some smartass thought it would be a good idea to steal one of my crates."

Hitomi looked at the crates next to Leon's stall. There were only two.

"Were there supposed to be three crates?..." Hitomi wondered.

"What the hell do you think?!" he snapped. He then calmed down when he saw how scared Hitomi had become. "Sorry, sorry… They were just really expensive crates."

"What were inside the crates?" Eliot asked.

"A bunch of ceramic pots that I ordered."

Hitomi decided to observe the area in order to see if the missing crate was hidden somewhere. There was no way that a person would be able to steal a heavy crate with all these people around… So far, there were a lot of people. They were all carrying at least one brown paper bag due to buying some goods. Hitomi was able to recognise a few people since she knew them personally.

She saw Lisa making her way through the crowd once more and scanning the area around her for some reason. Bass was near the entrance, trying his best to make the chickens scurry away from his feet. Rig was also nearby. Hitomi's attention was then caught by Jann Lee who stormed past her. Leifang quickly chased after him. The karateka could only hear a fair bit of their conversation.

"Jann Lee!" The Chinese woman called. "Why won't you just let me tell you how I fee-"

"Don't finish that sentence. Stop being weak."

"Weak?! You're the one who is weak because you can't even admi-"

"I said stop!"

Hitomi frowned as their conversation faded away. It was obvious what they were talking about. On the plus side, Leifang had finally decided to listen to her after all this time and reveal her feelings for Jann Lee. But unfortunately for her, he refused to hear it. Hitomi had no idea how men could deny their feelings so easily. She would be happy if someone confessed their love to her.

Hitomi shook her head in frustration. Now was not the time to think of her failed romances. She then turned to Eliot who was huffing and puffing. The karateka finally realised that he was carrying all the bags. All she had in her hands were the cabbage, as well as the potted plant that they had purchased from Leon. She quickly took some more bags from Eliot so he could regain some stamina.

"Th-thanks…" he huffed. "I feel like I've just competed on the Biggest Loser."

Hitomi giggled at Eliot's remark. He surely said the strangest things whenever he was struggling.

After when she successfully juggled the pot plant, as well as the grocery bags in her arms, Hitomi's eyes fell upon Honoka. She was currently at one of the stalls which sold sweets and other confectionery. Instead of her wearing her usual nurse's uniform, Honoka was wearing a jean skirt, but what really caught Hitomi's attention was the young girl's shirt. A picture of a cow's head was on her chest, with the word 'MILK' printed underneath. Hitomi thought this was either a joke regarding her breast size, or she was just oblivious to it and liked the design.

Hitomi dragged Eliot along once more so she could ask the nurse how Hayate was doing. She hadn't visited the hospital in a few days and wanted to know if there were any signs of progress. As they got closer, they noticed that Honoka was holding a red leash. On the other end of the leash was Bankotsubo. He tried his best to escape so he could run around and enjoy the beachy environment.

"Oh, hello!" Honoka bowed as they approached her. A part of Hitomi felt sad since the nurse's actions reminded her a lot of Kokoro.

"Hi. Eliot and I just wanted to know if there were any improvements on Hayate's amnesia?"

"Unfortunately, no," she replied, sadly. Her face then brightened. "But what's great is that he's slowly warming up to everyone. Lisa has been doing a lot of tests on him as well, so hopefully she will be able to determine some things soon."

The three of them continued to converse about Hayate's condition until Marie Rose approached them. She was wearing a black cloak over her lolita attire, and carried a woven basket with some sewing materials inside. She first acknowledged Honoka with a friendly hug before turning to Hitomi and Eliot.

"Lady Helena has been wondering whether you two have figured out who stole her belongings, as well as who murdered her sister."

"Helena had a sister?" Honoka wondered. "I never knew that."

Marie Rose instantly covered her mouth. She had said too much.

"Who was it, Marie?" Honoka asked her friend. "You can tell me!"

"…"

"..."

"... Marie?"

"Oh, I might as well tell you… But you can't tell anyone," she warned. Honoka nodded in silence, which caused the servant to sigh. "... It was Kokoro."

Honoka gasped. " _Kokoro_?... Oh, that's so sad."

"Where is Helena, anyway?" Hitomi intervened. She hoped to get the conversation back on track.

"She is practicing her singing back at the estate," Marie Rose answered. "She wanted to sing alone, so she ordered me to do her grocery shopping - which is why I am here."

Everyone nodded at the young blonde in response. Honoka was about to say something, but she stopped as she was being pulled away by Bankotsubo. It seemed like he really wanted to run around, so she let him free from his leash.

"You better behave, Mr. Bankotsubo," she cooed, petting the puppy. "Stay as close as you can!"

As soon as Honoka turned away, Bankotsubo wagged his tail and ran around the area with joy. Hitomi smiled at the Pomeranian. She really wished she could have a dog, but she didn't think her tenant would allow an animal inside the apartment.

"So, is Helena preparing to sing for another televised performance again?" Hitomi asked.

"No," Marie Rose answered. "I mean, she has been thinking about it, but she just wants to sing where no one can hear her right now. She has been sad about Tina's death lately."

Hitomi understood completely. She knew that Tina and Helena were good friends due to their successful careers.

"So, Eliot…" Marie Rose uttered, fluttering her eyelids. "How have you been since we last saw each other? I miss you."

Eliot choked in response. "Y-You do?"

"Don't act so surprised!" Marie giggled. A fake look of surprise then appeared on her youthful face. "Wait… Do you not miss me, too?"

"Wh… N-No! I mean... Of course I-"

The rest of Eliot's response was interrupted by a loud thumping sound. It sounded as though something heavy had been dropped onto the ground. A loud, unusual cry then followed from afar.

Honoka frowned as she furrowed her brows in fear. She recognised the cry and knew something was wrong, so she decided to follow where the strange sounds had come from. Hitomi was thinking along the the same lines as the pink haired girl and ran after her.

Honoka was a slow runner, so it was easy for Hitomi to follow her without losing any distance. They soon came to a stop near the entrance of the Seaside Market. The female detective gasped in horror at the grotesque sight in front of her. There was a large crate on the ground, and underneath that crate was the bottom half of Bankotsubo's body. A pool of blood was slowly forming around the unmoving body. Someone had squashed the Pomeranian.

The karateka's eyes averted over to Rig and Bass. They were the closest people at the scene, just like how they were for Tina's murder. Once again, they both knew how bad the situation looked. Hitomi frowned at them as she went into deep thought. Was it possible they were working together to murder all these people? And why would they murder a dog?

Her eyes then fell over to Honoka who was trying her best to take the crate off her dog. Hitomi, being alarmed by the girl's sudden actions, rushed over to Honoka in order to stop her from intervening with the crime scene. It took a few attempts, but when the nurse gave up, she buried her face into Hitomi's shoulder and began to sob. The best thing the detective could do was pat her shoulder in support.

"Who… Who could do this to Bankotsubo?!" she cried.

Hitomi internally sighed. She honestly had no idea, but she definitely had two suspects on her mind.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _I know what you're all thinking... I'm pure evil for killing an innocent dog in my story. I'm sorry, but it had to be done. There are no exceptions in this story._

 _Anyway, thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a review if you want. I'm always happy to read your thoughts. :)_

 _See you all in 2018!_

...

 **INVESTIGATION PROCESS #4**

 **Suspects of Bankotsubo's murder:**?

 **Time of murder:** 3:38pm

 **Place of murder:** The Seaside Market

 **Murder Weapon:** Wooden crate

 **Who found the body:** Honoka

...

* * *

 **Death count:** Maria Douglas, Rolande, Kokoro, Tina Armstrong, Bankotsubo.


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N** **:** _I was looking through some chapters and noticed that the clues and suspects are easy to forget on each case, so I edited them. From now on, everything will be more detailed so it is easy to remember certain clues and alibis. I'm also going to add down the bottom where you can find the other investigation files._

 _Also, I know I said I would write a perspective about each character just before they die, but I skipped Bankotsubo because I feel like it would be weird to write about a puppy..._

 _That's all I have to say. Please enjoy!_

 _ **Disclaimer** **:** All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 17**

Nothing but the sounds of Honoka's cries filled Hitomi's ears. The karateka looked over at the pink haired girl who continued to bawl her eyes out. She was currently under despair due to her puppy, Bankotsubo, being brutally murdered. Many people soon appeared and surrounded the entrance of the Seaside Market. Honoka didn't care for all the strange looks she was receiving. All she could think about right now was her precious dog.

"H-He was a happy dog… Everyone loved him," she uttered, wiping her tears. "Why would someone kill him?!"

"I have no idea," Hitomi replied, her eyes glued onto the dog, "but I am going to find out which sick person did this."

Hitomi continued to comfort the weeping Honoka until Marie Rose appeared. She made her way through the crowd and gasped when her eyes laid on the squashed dog. Eliot followed from behind and panted as he dropped all the grocery bags he had been carrying. He then let out a horrified scream at the grotesque sight.

After calming down from his outburst, he turned to Hitomi.

"We need to get everyone out of here," he told her.

Hitomi agreed and turned to the growing crowd. She could see that many people were murmuring to each other about the horrific murder. The constant chattering noises were becoming even more loud and it was starting to stress the karateka out. After demanding everyone to leave the Seaside Market and go home, she approached Bass and Rig. They remained glued to the ground.

"I need you two to stay nearby. We need to talk later," she told them.

Without a protest, the two men responded with a nod and headed over to the other side of the now empty market. Hitomi then turned her attention to Eliot. He was trying his best to make Honoka go away. However, she wouldn't budge.

"I can't leave Bankotsubo!" Honoka cried. "I need to be there for him!"

"Come on, Honoka…" Marie Rose said, linking her arm with Honoka's. "Let the detectives do their job…"

"But… But… He's only twelve weeks old… He needs me!"

"Honoka... Bankotsubo needs Hitomi and Eliot to find out who did this to him… I'll walk you home…"

The nurse sniffled in response and didn't protest this time. She allowed the servant to lead her away from the scene. Hitomi felt terrible for her.

Now that the crime scene was barren, Hitomi and Eliot grabbed their own yellow police tape from their pockets and surrounded the small area with it. Afterwards, they decided to finally inspect the scene. Eliot grabbed his pen and notebook, and decided to write the investigation report. He decided to read it aloud afterwards:

 **INVESTIGATION REPORT** **: "The victim is Bankotsubo. The body was discovered at 3:38pm near the entrance of the Seaside Market. The cause of death was being squashed by a heavy crate."**

Due to the newest crime scene being a very small area, there wasn't much to inspect. The only major features to look at was the **crate** as well as the **squashed dog underneath**. Hitomi decided to look at the Pomeranian first.

 **The upper half of Bankotsubo's body was completely squashed by the crate**. In order to get a closer look, Hitomi had to force herself to step on the flowing blood around the body. She cringed as she did so and apologised to the dog for being disrespectful. Eliot soon joined her and observed the crate.

"What we see next may disturb us, but… uh… We need to lift this crate."

Hitomi internally groaned at Eliot's words. She didn't want to see what was underneath the crate, but she knew it had to be done.

It took three attempts for the two detectives to successfully lift the heavy crate. It barely scraped the ground as Hitomi and Eliot carried it a few steps aside. As soon as they dropped the crate, Hitomi wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on her forehead. Afterwards, her blue eyes laid on the upper half of Bankotsubo's body. She shook in fear at the sight. The karateka was honestly at a loss for words...

Bankotsubo's once cheerful face was completely flat. Blood covered the top half of the face and body, and its beady eyes that were once filled with life were blankly staring up at the sky. There was no sign of life whatsoever. Hitomi quickly covered her mouth in order to prevent a scream. She then trembled as she turned around to face Eliot. It was at that moment when she realised he had already called her name several times. He didn't seem to mind her late response, though. After all, the view in front of them was terribly horrific.

"I think we should check what's inside this crate..." Eliot suggested. His voice was strained.

Hitomi, with her hand still covering her mouth, nodded in silence and headed over to the male detective. It took many tries as well as various different tools, but the duo were eventually able to open the crate. Hitomi had a grim look on her face as she realised what was inside.

 **Ceramic pots consisting of many different sizes filled the inside of the crate**. They looked awfully heavy and most of them were broken due to the crate being dropped on top of Bankotsubo's body. Hitomi recognised this large, wooden box as **Leon's missing crate**. The good thing is that they found Leon's stolen goods. Unfortunately for the gardener, though, **most of the ceramic pots were broken**.

After observing the large crate some more, Hitomi and Eliot took their investigation further by inspecting the rest of the area around them. Unluckily for them, there were no more clues. The only thing to note was the large stone wall that surrounded the area. Numerous boulders were planted in front of it. Other than that, a few small boxes also surrounded the area. Hitomi frowned when she realised nothing was inside.

Hitomi felt frustrated about this particular crime scene because there were almost no clues this time. What she deemed as suspicious is that there was absolutely nowhere that the murderer could have hidden - unless they were near the scene and decided to stay there. This made Hitomi think back to how she found Rig and Bass near the squashed body. After telling Eliot everything, they headed over to the two men.

Bass and Rig were standing near Muramasa's shop as they viewed the miniature television set in front of them. Despite their current situation, they chuckled at the episode they were watching. As soon as Hitomi called their names, both men turned around. Their looks of amusement were instantly wiped from their faces and replaced with serious expressions instead.

"What were you two doing near the crime scene?" Hitomi demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

Bass was the first to answer. "I was trying to get the chickens away from my new shoes," he explained, pointing to his now dusty boots. "My back was facing the scene. I swear it wasn't me!"

"It wasn't me, either," Rig intervened. "I… uh... was also near the scene, but I was looking at the empty stall… Too bad the owner wasn't there. I could have used them as an alibi."

Hitomi crooked her eyebrow at the bartender. She then fixed her attention to Bass as well.

"And you two definitely aren't each other's alibis? None of you saw the other?"

Bass and Rig both shook their heads in response. Hitomi sighed. Even if they were telling the truth or not, they were both still suspects.

"We will ask you both to come and visit us at the police station sometime soon," Eliot informed them. "We would like to question you both separately."

"We will probably call you in a few days from now," Hitomi concluded. "Anyway, you're both free to go."

After when the two men made their way out of the Seaside Market, Hitomi and Eliot headed over to Leon's stall. Hitomi was curious as to why the Italian man was closing his miniature market.

"Why are you closing?" the karateka asked.

"Why do you think?!" Leon spat. "We're the only people here now. That stupid murderer will pay for messing with my business! Now there will be less customers and I will need to fight even harder to pay my fucking rent!"

Hitomi felt bad for Leon. After losing Rolande, it must have been twice as hard for him to pay his bills. He must have missed his wife, too. Aside from his foul language, the karateka couldn't blame him for being so hot tempered all the time.

"Anyway, we came here to inform you that the missing crate was found," Eliot told him. "Unfortunately... the crate was used as the murder weapon and all the ceramic pots are broken."

"Well, that's just great!" Leon said with a sarcastic tone. "Those pots were an expensive order! They don't give refunds!"

"I will offer to pay for the other order for you," Hitomi said, digging into her pockets for some spare cash. However, her face fell as Leon shot her down.

"I don't think so, little girl. I'm a tough guy. I can pay my own dues."

Eliot wrote something else in his notebook just before speaking to Leon once more. "Since you were at your stall this whole time, there is no possible way that you could have murdered the dog."

"Of course I didn't!" Leon snapped. A vein was now visible on his forehead. "I have more important things to do than kill a stupid dog!"

Hitomi ignored Leon's anger since there was something else she wanted to know. "One last question... When did you realise the crate was missing?"

"I arrived at the market this morning with the crates and set up my stall. Then I had to go to the bathroom and when I came back, it was gone. There was nobody else around, which pisses me off even more. Just make sure you find the damn thief!"

Now that he had finished packing, Leon grabbed his belongings and shoved the two detectives aside so he could walk through. Hitomi subconsciously rubbed her now throbbing shoulder as she thought back to everyone else who was also at the Seaside Market. It was also possible that the murderer planned to kill Bankotsubo at the entrance just before leaving the place. Maybe they didn't stay inside at all.

With a million doubts in her mind, Hitomi tried her best to forget about the crime scene and move onto something else. She attempted to help Eliot by picking up the grocery bags once more. Since they were the only two people at the Seaside Market now, they agreed that it would be best to take the groceries back home.

* * *

When they arrived back at Eliot's home, Hitomi immediately ran towards the kitchen and dropped her share of bags on the counter with a loud thud. A huge feeling of relief overwhelmed her as the pain in her arms were starting to subside.

"We should inform Brad about the incident," Eliot suggested as he placed the groceries down. He then dusted his hands against his cargo jacket.

"I agree. Half the town probably knows about Bankotsubo's death by now," Hitomi replied.

Since Brad told them he was going to have a nap just before the two detectives left to do their shopping, Eliot assumed he was still in the bedroom. After taking a quick check, the British man came out and shrugged his shoulders at the karateka.

"He's still asleep," he confirmed. "I don't understand how one person can get so much sleep every day…"

Hitomi, however, saw this as a great opportunity to talk about the case without any interruptions from the drunk man.

"That should work in our favour because it allows us to talk about the case without Brad being nosey."

"I guess so," Eliot chuckled. He slumped onto the chair next to the karateka. "Okay, so we saw Rig, Bass, Jann Lee, Leifang, Marie Rose, and Honoka at the Seaside Market today..."

Hitomi nodded. "Don't forget about Leon and Lisa."

"Right," Eliot agreed. "And we know that Honoka and Marie Rose didn't murder the dog since they were talking to us while it happened."

"Leon was also at his stall," the karateka noted. "Also, Jann Lee and Leifang were heading in the opposite direction. They were having an argument."

"So that leaves Rig, Bass, and Lisa… _again_."

Hitomi frowned as she looked through Eliot's notebook. She scanned through the past three murder cases.

"What are you looking for?" Eliot asked.

"I'm looking for the suspects," the German girl answered. "Lisa, Bass, and Rig are the only three suspects in _every_ murder case so far… I'm trying to see if they had any motives."

"My question is: why would any of them want to murder a dog?"

Hitomi thought about Eliot's question for a moment until she remembered something peculiar that happened in the hospital the other day.

"I was talking to Lisa in the hospital the other day when Bankotsubo appeared. She was really mad and even told me that she hates animals… I think it might be her."

Hitomi couldn't help but notice that Eliot's face looked strange. When he realised that the karateka was looking at him, he forced a smile.

"What's wrong, Eliot?"

"Well… I don't know if I should say this or not…"

Hitomi was confused. "Just tell me."

"Okay, fine…" he said, taking a deep breath just before continuing. "I think there's a part of you that keeps being biased against Lisa because she used to date Hayate."

The female detective felt as though she had been betrayed by the British man… Or perhaps she had confused the sudden feeling with anger… Or maybe even guilt. Even so, Hitomi refused to admit to Eliot that she was being biased against Lisa. And even if she was, then she definitely didn't mean to come across that way.

"I am not being biased against Lisa," she argued. "You have to admit she is suspicious. She was cautiously looking everywhere a lot at the Seaside Market today."

"I get that. You just always seem to jump your conclusions onto her," Eliot replied. "But I apologise for being rude."

"It's okay. And I… I don't _mean_ to be biased… But thank you for telling me. I'll try not to do it anymore," she promised. "That being said, let's move onto Rig and Bass."

Eliot shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe they were near the crime scene again..." he said with a sigh. "They were either at the wrong place at the wrong time, or they really did murder Bankotsubo."

Hitomi noticed something else. "It took us a few tries to lift that heavy crate… But Rig and Bass are both very strong..."

"You're right, Hitomi. They could have easily lifted the crate together, or even on their own... Especially Bass."

After discussing the newest investigation some more, Hitomi and Eliot began to pack the groceries away. Once when the two detectives were done, they realised it was too late to eat lunch together. That, and Brad was still asleep.

After deciding that it was best to go with a rain check, Hitomi headed back to her apartment.

* * *

Later that night, Hitomi found herself seated on her couch. The lounge room now had a messy appearance to it. This was because there were photographs and other documents spread all over the wooden floor. She was currently scanning through the notes she had collected for Bankotsubo's investigation.

The female detective ran her fingers through her tangled hair in frustration. No matter how many times she looked through her notes, nothing made sense to her. There were barely any clues at the Seaside Market and she had looked at her writing so many times that every word was starting to look like alien language.

The only thing Hitomi noticed was that the same three people were suspects for every single murder case. That, and every victim was attacked on the head. Hitomi even counted Bankotsubo as one of those victims since the upper part of his body, including the head, was completely squashed. Hitomi believed there was a high chance that all these murders were committed by one person. It was a risky conclusion to make, but she had to admit it made even more sense each time she thought about it.

A knock on the door soon interrupted Hitomi's thoughts. She quickly placed her notes inside her backpack. Did she order pizza? She didn't remember ordering anything. She wasn't even sure if she had eaten dinner or not... Or perhaps it was Rig? Maybe he had run out of milk again for the umpteenth time.

Hitomi realised every guess of hers had been wrong when she finally answered the door. The mysterious person at the door was revealed to be Leifang. Her usual looped braids were finally let loose once more. A smile grew on the karateka's face. She didn't realise how much she had missed Leifang's untouched hairstyle during high school.

The Chinese woman also wore a panda themed hoodie as well as a black skirt. What made Hitomi feel peculiar is that there was a large tub of ice cream in her hands.

"Alpha 152's Famous Neapolitan Ice Cream…?" she questioned as she read the company label.

"Yes. Now let me in!" Leifang demanded, pushing Hitomi aside.

Hitomi watched from afar as her best friend ran over to the dining table and placed the ice cream tub down with a sigh. Hitomi figured that her hands must have been cold after carrying it for so long. She then rummaged through the kitchen drawers and dug out two spoons.

"And now we can eat!" she said with a cheerful grin.

Hitomi followed Leifang over to the couch and sat beside her. She still had no idea why the waitress had decided to visit her.

"What is all this?" the German girl asked. "Why are we eating ice cr- Did Jann Lee break your heart?!"

Leifang giggled as she tried her best to restrain Hitomi. "No. I mean, he's a moron, but I don't care about what he thinks. I just wanted to eat ice cream with you."

However, Hitomi wasn't having a word of it. "Leifang…"

Leifang paused as she was about to scoop some ice cream into her mouth. She rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. I came here because that creep wouldn't listen to me and I need some cheering up."

"At least you can finally move on from him," Hitomi replied. She dug her own spoon into the chocolate section.

"Oh, gosh no. You know I never give up," Leifang laughed. "Jann Lee will admit his feelings for me sooner or later."

Hitomi playfully rolled her eyes. Leifang was always very stubborn and also full of herself. It was a great attribute to have at times, but the karateka knew she could never be that confident. The only thing she felt confident in lately was her job as a detective, but she was even starting to doubt _that_ now.

"I need to talk to someone who isn't Eliot…" Hitomi mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Leifang asked. She figured it was serious, so she placed the lid back onto the ice cream tub. "Is it about the case?"

"Sort of…" Hitomi admitted. "Eliot thinks I'm being biased against Lisa. And while that might be slightly true, I don't mean to be... Plus, I think I've been more invested in these cases lately because it distracts me from Hayate and his amnesia."

"If Lisa is a suspect, then you have every right to be biased, Hitomi," the Chinese woman said. "But that's just my opinion. And to be honest, I also came here today just in case you were traumatised by the whole dog situation… I know how it feels to be near a murder scene..."

Hitomi's gaze lowered to the floor. She remembered how scared Leifang was when she told her that she heard Rolande being murdered that night at the diner and thought nothing of it. In a way, today's incident was kind of similar since she heard the loud banging of the crate as well as the shriek which came from Bankotsubo.

"You're such a good friend, Leifang," the German girl smiled. A few tears then fell down her cheeks. She blushed in embarrassment and wiped them away with the back of her hand. Ever since she became a detective, Hitomi hated showing any signs of emotional weakness.

"Are those happy tears, or sad tears?" Leifang asked. "Tell me what's going on."

"I just… I just think I'm a bad detective…"

Leifang glared at her best friend. "What?! Who the hell told you that?!" she demanded. "Tell me so I can kick their butt."

"No one said it," Hitomi replied with a sniffle. "I just never thought it was going to be this hard… I've promised so many people that I will figure out each of these murders, and I can't!"

Leifang felt bad for Hitomi. She scooted closer to the detective and gave her a hug. "Don't give up," she said. "Hopefully you will find more clues. Do you want any help? Maybe I can be your sidekick."

"Thanks, Leifang, but I don't think so," Hitomi sniffled. "We will end up distracting each other. Plus, I need to figure these cases out on my own."

"If you say so," Leifang shrugged. "But just know that I'm here whenever you need me."

Hitomi smiled with gratitude. "Thank you."

"And no matter what, you can't give up," she continued. "I was the one who convinced you to become a detective in the first place, so I don't want you to fail."

Hitomi rolled her eyes. "You know I would never give up that easily. I just needed someone to talk to, and you made me feel better."

"That's the spirit," the waitress smiled. "Now, let's eat some more ice cream and talk about fun things!"

After her pep talk with Leifang, Hitomi felt much more calm about everything. She didn't know why, but talking to her best friend always made her feel better. Maybe Leifang would be a good use of help within her investigations… However, it was already Eliot's job to help her. Hitomi sighed. She just hoped that she would be able to solve these crimes soon. With her newfound determination, she believed she could. She just needed to be patient.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _If I have to write the words 'Seaside Market' one more time, I will punch myself. But anyway... Who thinks Leifang and Hitomi would make a good team? I feel like they would disagree on everything._

 _Thanks for reading!_

...

Where you can find the other investigation files:

 **Rolande :** Chapter 6

 **Kokoro :** Chapter 10

 **Tina :** Chapter 15

...

 **INVESTIGATION PROCESS #4**

 **Time of murder:** 3:38pm

 **Place of murder:** The Seaside Market

 **Murder Weapon:** Wooden crate

 **Who found the body:** Honoka

...

 **INVESTIGATION #4 SUSPECTS/PEOPLE AT THE SEASIDE MARKET**

 **Rig** **: [ Main suspect because he was found at the crime scene** **/ has been a suspect in every case** **]** Claims he was looking at an empty market stall nearby. No alibi.

 **Bass Armstrong : [Main s** **uspect because he was found at the crime scene** **/ has been a suspect in every case** **]** Claims his back was facing the scene while trying to get the chickens away from his shoes. No alibi.

 **Lisa Hamilton** **: [ Main suspect because she was at the Seaside Market / has been a suspect in every case] **She was seen buying a plant at Leon's stall just before leaving in a hurry.

 **Jann Lee : [Suspect because he was seen at the Seaside Market earlier] **He was seen arguing with Leifang, trying to walk away from her. ( _cleared by Hitomi_ )

 **Leifang : ****[Suspect because she was seen at the Seaside Market earlier]** She was seen arguing with Jann Lee, trying to chase him. ( _cleared by Hitomi_ )

 **Marie Rose : [She was at the Seaside Market shopping for Helena's groceries ] **She was conversing with Hitomi, Eliot, and Honoka at the time. ( _cleared by Eliot_ )

 **Honoka : [She was at the Seaside Market shopping for candy and walking her dog] **She was conversing with Hitomi, Eliot, and Marie Rose at the time. ( _cleared by Eliot_ )

 **Leon : [He was at the Seaside Market serving customers at his stall] **He sold a plant to Eliot just before the crime took place. ( _cleared by Hitomi_ )

...

 **INVESTIGATION #4 CLUES**

 **~ Small area** \- There is nowhere for the murderer to hide. Either they were found at the crime scene, or they snuck out the entrance. There are no surveillance cameras.

 **~ Crate** \- The murder weapon. Ceramic pots were found inside; most of them being broken. Confirmed to be Leon's missing crate.

 **~ Injury** \- The upper half of the dog is squashed, including the head. This links to Rolande, Kokoro, Hayate and Tina's head injuries.

 **~ Leon's account** \- The crate was stolen in the morning when no one else was around. There is nowhere the murderer could have hidden the heavy crate.

 **~ Strength** \- The murderer was able to lift the heavy crate on their own. It took Hitomi and Eliot a few attempts to lift it together.

...

 **Explanation #5:** I got rid of Bankotsubo because I got sick of killing people. I needed to add a twist somehow. Also, I can't stand dogs, so I'm really not that sorry for killing him.

* * *

 **Death count:** Maria Douglas, Rolande, Kokoro, Tina Armstrong, Bankotsubo.


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N** **:** _I AM SO HAPPY THAT DOA6 HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED. My tumblr followers were going crazy lol, but not as crazy as me._

 _ **Disclaimer** **:** All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 18**

As Hitomi fluttered her eyes open the next morning and observed her surroundings, she jolted upwards. This was because she found herself on the floor of her own living room. She had no idea how she ended down there. Why was she not in her bed instead? She had no recollection of anything.

When Hitomi looked up at the couch, she instantly found the source of the problem and rolled her eyes. Leifang was sleeping peacefully on her back. As it turned out, she had pushed the karateka off the couch during her slumber. At least it explained why Hitomi's tailbone hurt so much. She must have landed on it.

After a long yawn, Hitomi's eyes averted over to the clock on the wall. She almost shrieked when she realised it was 9:44am. The karateka felt strange as she finally got up from the floor. She normally woke up at six in the morning. She was astonished to find out that she ended up sleeping an extra three hours… almost four, actually.

At the same time, Hitomi realised she had to wake the waitress from her slumber. The karateka always hated waking Leifang up whenever they had sleepovers back in high school because she was always in a grouchy mood. However, she had a good reason to wake her friend this time because it was possible that she had a shift at the diner today. Ever since Kokoro was murdered, Leifang's shifts had been all over the place. It would probably remain that way for a while since no normal person would even think about pursuing a job where someone was murdered.

"Leifang?... Leifang?..." Hitomi called, nudging her friend's shoulder.

"Mnnngh… Go away…" she replied in a sleepy voice.

Hitomi rolled her eyes and decided to cut to the chase. "Are you working today or not?"

"No…" she whined, now changing her sleeping position. "I have the day… off… today…"

"Oh… I'm so sorry for waking you, then, Leif-"

"Shhhhh!"

Hitomi apologised to Leifang once more for waking her up. She decided to do something else as she let her irritated friend fall back to sleep again. The karateka felt bad for waking her up, but she couldn't take the risk and allow for Leifang to possibly lose her job.

Normally, Hitomi would practice her karate moves on most mornings, but this time she decided not to since the noise would wake Leifang up once more. It was funny, though, because speaking of noise, Rig wasn't home. His music would usually be blaring around this time in the morning. Nevertheless, Hitomi shrugged and thought of something else to do.

* * *

With nothing else to do, other than battling her hungry stomach, Hitomi ended up cooking some pancakes for herself. Just as the karateka sat down at the dining table and almost took her first bite, Leifang, who finally decided to wake up, suddenly appeared and asked where _her_ pancakes were. With an irritated sigh, Hitomi shoved her plate over to Leifang and decided to make a new batch of pancakes for herself. She didn't mind giving her pancakes to Leifang. She just wished she knew how much to make beforehand.

While they ate their breakfast, Leifang randomly mentioned that she wouldn't mind visiting Hayate at the hospital. The karateka almost choked on her pancake as her friend uttered those words. Hitomi hadn't been at the hospital in a few days. The last time she was there, her mood turned sour when she witnessed Hayate acting lovestruck around Lisa. She shuddered at the memory.

"I don't know…"

"Aw, why not?" Leifang asked with a sad pout. "I haven't even seen Hayate since the party. You know how much I hate hospitals…"

Hitomi arched a brow. "You hate hospitals?"

"Well, I don't, but I think you should visit him again."

It didn't take much of an effort for Leifang to convince Hitomi to visit Hayate at the hospital. The female detective only agreed because she assumed it would be a good way to spend her day with Leifang. Deep inside, Hitomi admitted that she missed having her two closest friends in the same room. She also hoped that Hayate might recognise Leifang as a familiar face from his past.

* * *

Hitomi frowned as soon as she and Leifang entered Hayate's room at the hospital. She was upset to find him with Lisa once more. He smiled at the doctor, admirably, as she examined his wounds for the day. He didn't seem to notice that they had entered the room.

Once when she had finished her daily examination, Lisa politely smiled at the two women and headed outside in order to give them some alone time with Hayate.

"I haven't seen you in a few days," Hayate noted. His voice didn't sound as weak as it did a few days ago. Hitomi was glad he was getting better.

"I'm sorry. I've been so busy and another murder case has come up," the karateka explained. "But I'm here now."

Hitomi then turned to Leifang who remained silent. She thought something was wrong since Leifang was normally very chirpy and never knew when to shut her mouth. The karateka's suspicions were confirmed when she noticed that Leifang's face was slowly turning to a paler shade.

"Are you okay, Leifang?"

"Y-Yeah…" she answered, shakily. "I just didn't know his bruises were so severe."

Leifang had a point. Hitomi was used to all the injuries and bruises by now, but that was only because of her detective course. She remembered having the same nervous expression as Leifang when she first had a fake body to inspect for one of her assignments. The bruises and cuts looked so realistic that thinking back to it made the detective feel nauseous.

"Hayate, do you remember Leifang?" Hitomi asked him. "You were friends with her, too."

Hayate observed Leifang's face for a while. Hitomi was hoping that he would remember something. A slight glimmer of hope was beginning to grow within her. Leifang also seemed to be anticipated to find out his answer.

"Sorry, but no…"

Hitomi felt as though someone had kicked her gut. Once again, she had created false hope for herself and ended up in disappointment instead. There was no one else that she could think of who would be able to possibly trigger Hayate's memories.

"I feel so bad, though…" he continued.

Hitomi was curious as to what he had meant by that. "Hm?"

"I mean, I feel bad not being able to remember all these people," he explained. "I have all these friends and family members that I don't remember at all."

"Don't feel bad, Hayate. It's not your fault that you can't remember anything," Leifang told him. She was beginning to warm up to his bruises.

"Leifang is right," Hitomi agreed. "On the bright side, your personality is basically the same as the old you."

"It's too bad my personality has nothing to do with the case, though," Hayate huffed. "All I know is that I have two sisters, I'm friends with the both of you, I have a best friend who I can't even remember, and apparently I used to date Lisa."

"Do you at least remember your relationship with Lisa?" Leifang asked. "Maybe that could trigger some past memories."

"No," Hayate answered. "I just want my memories back… I hate feeling useless."

"You're not useless, Hayate," Hitomi lectured. "You have only had amnesia for two weeks. Most people have it for a few months before they can even remember one simple detail."

"They do?" Leifang asked.

"Yeah. I once saw it on a television show."

Leifang rolled her eyes at the karateka. She then checked her wristwatch and realised it was time for lunch. She immediately got up from her chair and stopped once she reached the door.

"I'm hungry, so I'm going to the cafeteria to eat something. Do you two want anything?"

Hayate shook his head. "I'm being forced to eat hospital food."

"Ew," Leifang crinkled her nose in disgust.

"Leifang, we just ate pancakes an hour ago," Hitomi lectured. "... but get me a muffin if you can."

Leifang chuckled at the karateka in response. When the waitress shut the door behind her, Hitomi turned her attention to Hayate. The purple bumps on his forehead were less visible. His face looked strained, though. She could tell he was beating himself up due to having no memory of anything or anyone.

"Stop thinking about your memories," she told him. "You will become stressed."

"I know that... I just want to remember at least one thing," Hayate explained. "I hate not remembering anyone. I just want a friend to talk to."

"There's always Ryu. You also have me," Hitomi said with a smile. "The two of us would always talk about everything."

"Really? How did we become friends?" Hayate asked.

Hitomi smiled to herself as he asked that question. She remembered how they met as though it were yesterday. "We met on a playground," she explained. "I was ten and you were almost fifteen… Our fathers got along really well and we became close as well."

"So, we've been friends for a long time…"

"Yes," Hitomi nodded. Her eyes then felt heavy. "It's a shame you don't remember…"

" _Stop thinking about my memories. You will become stressed_ ," Hayate mimicked in a high pitched tone.

Hitomi slapped his shoulder in a playful manner. She knew he was teasing her due to what she said to him before. Her expression then softened as she noticed that he was looking at her weirdly.

"I really did miss you visiting here, though… I was getting used to you coming here every day."

Hitomi could feel a blush creeping on her face. She attempted to hide it as she smiled in response. "I'll try and visit you as much as I can, then."

"You don't need to," Hayate replied. "I don't want you to pity me."

"I could never pity you, Hayate. You're my friend and you need me," Hitomi replied. She then thought of a great idea. "Maybe I can bring in some old photos next time… Maybe that can trigger your memories!"

"Okay, sure," Hayate said, revealing a smile. "I hope it works."

"I hope so, too."

* * *

After when Leifang returned with her food, as well as an overly stale muffin for Hitomi, the three friends continued to converse about the old times as well as their recent memories. Leifang tried her best to reenact some scenes from the past in order to make Hayate regain his memories. Unfortunately, her acting was still terrible, but at least it resulted in some laughs from the amnesiac karate instructor.

When they were done with their visit at the hospital, Hitomi informed Leifang that her shift at work was about to start soon. She felt terrible since she completely forgot and didn't want to ruin their plans. Leifang, however, wasn't offended since she felt like this would be a great opportunity to stalk Jann Lee. Even so, she offered to walk with the karateka over to the police station.

When Hitomi and Leifang ended up in front of the police station, they both shared their goodbyes before they went their separate ways. Just as Hitomi was about to enter the building, she could smell an odd aroma. As she turned around, her eyes fell upon Rig. He was casually walking down the sidewalk. Acting on her instincts, Hitomi headed over to the bartender. He reeked of alcohol. She also noticed that he was wearing his work uniform.

"Did you just finish work?" she guessed.

"Yep," he replied. It was obvious he was tired due to the sleepy tone in his voice. His back was slightly hunched. "I've just finished an all-night shift at the bar."

Hitomi frowned at the man. "You should go and get some sleep."

"That's what I'm planning to do," Rig smirked in response. Just as he was about to make his way home once more, a familiar voice called his name from afar.

"Rig!... Hey, you… Yeah. You!"

Since Rig was blocking the view, Hitomi looked behind his shoulder and wasn't surprised to see that Brad Wong was trying his best to catch up with him. Rig rolled his eyes and turned around to face the man.

"Are you _still_ following me?!"

"You bet!" Brad replied. He stumbled along the sidewalk and leaned on Rig's shoulder for support as he finally came to a stop. "I want another drink!"

"I don't have any alcohol with me," he said, pushing Brad off his shoulder. "So get lost, okay?!"

In all honesty, Hitomi couldn't blame Rig for acting cold towards the drunk man. She knew that Brad would always get on Eliot's nerves as well. It was funny because Eliot was one of the nicest people Hitomi had ever met. If Brad could annoy him, then it was possible for everyone else to be annoyed, too.

As Rig and Brad continued to argue, Hitomi could feel another presence appear in the distance. She turned around to find Gen Fu standing against the door of the police station. He stared at her in complete silence. The female detective gulped. She knew she was in trouble due to being late for her shift.

Hitomi left the arguing duo behind and approached the senior officer. "I… I'm so sorry for being la-"

"Do not worry about it," he interrupted. "I haven't seen you in a while, Hitomi. I assume your murder cases are keeping you busy?"

"Yes, they are," Hitomi replied.

"Ah yes, that reminds me… I would like to personally thank you for investing in so many crimes. Ever since you have joined our police force, the workload has been slightly easier around here."

Hitomi managed to form a light smile. It felt great that Gen Fu was acknowledging all the cases she had taken, but there was a huge part of her that felt like she wasn't doing anything useful. After all, she hadn't been able to discover who any of the murderers were yet.

Her trail of thought was soon interrupted as she noticed that Gen Fu was scanning the area around them. Hitomi looked around her and noticed that Rig and Brad had disappeared. However, there were a few other people nearby.

"There aren't that many people around, so I would like to show you something…" Gen Fu murmured.

Hitomi raised an eyebrow. She was curious to know what Gen Fu wanted to show her.

The German woman witnessed the senior officer take a few steps to the right. Hitomi wasn't sure whether to follow the old man or not, but she did so anyway. They came to a stop in front of some bushes against the brick wall.

"Do you know why we are here, Hitomi?"

"No…" Hitomi answered, truthfully. A sudden realisation then hit her. "Oh, my gosh… Is there a dead body behind this bush?!"

"Not at all," Gen Fu replied, calm as ever. Hitomi almost swore it looked as though he was trying not to laugh at her answer. He then cleared his throat just before continuing. "Anyway, you know this town isn't like any other. Unlike other police stations, this one is usually closed for a few hours…"

Hitomi nodded in response. "I already knew that. Eliot informed me about it."

"But did he tell you about the secret entrance?"

"Secret entrance?..." Hitomi repeated. She wasn't sure if she had heard him correctly.

"Yes," he replied, shoving some leaves out of the way. He and Hitomi stepped through the bush and crouched behind it so no one else could see them. "Why don't you crawl through this small door and see where it takes you..."

There was a huge sense of excitement growing within Hitomi. She had never been through a secret entrance before, let alone _seen_ one. She gasped with excitement as she opened the miniature door in front of her. She made her way through and noticed how small it was. Only a person with a small build would be able to fit inside.

Once when she crawled through the small vent, Hitomi made her way out and found herself within the miniature kitchen belonging to the police station. She continued to crawl around the room and came to a stop when she noticed a pair of shoes in front of her. She slowly looked up to see that the shoes had belonged to Gen Fu.

"I entered through the normal door," he explained.

With the kind offer of help from Gen Fu, Hitomi got to her feet and dusted her knees. Surprisingly, the vent had been dirty. Perhaps another person had used this entrance before. Another thought then popped into her head.

"Do Bayman and Eliot know about this entrance?" she wondered.

Gen Fu nodded. "Yes. I was supposed to tell you about it before, but I have been busy these past few weeks and forgot to mention it to you."

"I'm sure I will appreciate this secret entrance since I tend to lose my keys all the time," Hitomi laughed. She noticed that Gen Fu maintained his serious expression, so she shut her mouth.

"Let us discuss your case some more in my office… We have many things to talk about."

Hitomi gulped at Gen Fu's change of tone. She had no idea what he wanted to discuss with her. Due to the serious expression planted on his face, she could only think of a terrible outcome. Maybe he was letting her go? Maybe he found someone better to do her job? Or maybe _he_ was going to take over her cases since she was taking forever with them?

The karateka frowned as Gen Fu opened the door to his office. She stepped through and looked at the ground with shame as the senior officer sat on his desk chair. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"So, tell me what is happening with your cases so far…"

"Well... We have found a few clues as well as a few patterns with each murder," Hitomi explained. "Eliot and I believe it is possible that each murder has been committed by the same person."

Gen Fu crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Speaking of Eliot, how is he doing with these cases? He has never had a partner before."

"He's doing really well, sir. I believe we make a great team," the female detective answered. "Er… Do you know how Bayman's investigation is going? Marie Rose has asked about Helena's robbery case multiple times and I haven't seen him around…"

"I usually see Bayman during my shifts. Actually, he should be working here today," Gen Fu replied. "His investigations are going well, but he is stubborn, so it may take a while longer for him to solve them."

Hitomi chuckled at Gen Fu's words. She knew he was right at the fact that Bayman was stubborn. He also seemed to be a very hard man to work with, so the karateka seriously wondered how he was coping with all of his cases alone. A part of her was also worried about what Helena said that time when they inspected her mansion. She had said that two assassins plotting together is never a good idea. Hitomi had no idea what the opera singer had meant by that, but she secretly wondered if Bayman was a casual visitor at Christie's prison cell.

"I'm just glad that he is able to solve his cases," Hitomi continued. "I hope I will be able to solve my own cases with Eliot soon, but I think that might be a long while…"

"You are closer to solving each case than you think," Gen Fu said, clasping his aged hands together. "I think it is about time you and Eliot realised that."

"I know that having some clues is much better than having no clues at all… I guess I need to be positive and then I'll be able to solve this case."

"That's the spirit."

Hitomi thought about her assigned cases some more. Gen Fu was right. She was closer than she thought and yet she still found herself focusing on the negatives; which was clearly bad for her self esteem as a detective. The German girl just hoped that she would be able to solve these cases before any more murders were to happen.

Hitomi smiled and listened as Gen Fu continued discussing the aspects of her case. Her eyes eventually made their way over to a photo frame on the senior officer's desk. She hadn't seen it there before. Hitomi concluded that he must have placed it there recently… A young girl with chubby cheeks was visible in the photo. Her short black hair was tied into two pigtails, and she had a cheeky smile on her face.

Gen Fu noticed that Hitomi was staring at the photo for a little too long. "This is Mei Lin," he said.

"Is she your granddaughter?" Hitomi asked.

"Yes," Gen Fu nodded. His expression then darkened. "She was living with me until I sent her back to China a few days ago…"

Hitomi couldn't help but feel curious. "Why is that?... If you don't mind me asking, of course."

"I wanted her to go back to China and live with her parents because I don't want the high crime rate of DOATEC City to harm her safety," Gen Fu explained. "I could never live with myself if anything bad happened to her."

"I highly doubt anything would happen to her if she stayed here."

"A lot has happened during the two years you were gone," the senior officer said. "I have made many choices that people disagree with… Many people can be vicious, and I don't want Mei Lin to be harmed as an act of revenge."

Hitomi couldn't help but feel sorry for Gen Fu. She knew he was a lonely man, but she clearly underestimated him. Mei Lin must have been the only source of company she had back at his home. Now, apart from his work colleagues, he had no one.

"I hope you will be able to see Mei Lin again, soon."

"I definitely will," Gen Fu replied. "I have complete confidence that all these crimes will be resolved soon. I will see her again once when this is all over."

A smile made its way onto Hitomi's face. Even though Gen Fu was a serious man, she found it inspiring how he had such a positive outlook on the current situation involving the town. She really needed some confidence like that right now, and she had to admit that Gen Fu's influence was working on her.

"By the way..." Gen Fu continued, digging through his desk drawer. He eventually found some hidden files and handed them over to her. "I need you to fill out these reports. Will you be able to do that for me?"

Hitomi nodded at Gen Fu with determination as she took the files. "Of course!"

* * *

The next hour went by slowly as Hitomi scanned and filled out the pile of reports Gen Fu had given her. She found herself checking the clock every few minutes, only to be disappointed. In a way, the karateka was glad that these reports were distracting her from her usual cases with Eliot. She was happy to be doing something else at work for once. She hoped that this short break would be helpful and inspire her to think more positively in the process.

Hitomi was in the middle of completing one of the files when the front door suddenly burst open. The female detective gasped and turned around in shock as she noticed Bayman entering the room. He stood with a straight posture, and his usual cold expression was planted on his broad face. The karateka was even more surprised when the Russian man shoved Bass inside the building. The pro wrestler's hands were held together by a pair of metal handcuffs. The two of them didn't seem to notice that the German girl was even there as they continued with their bickering.

"I didn't do it!" Bass argued. He struggled against his handcuffs.

"Be quiet! I said anything that you say and do will be held against you!" Bayman yelled.

"I don't care!" Bass shouted, equally loud. "I didn't steal anything from Helena that night!"

"You are a liar and a criminal!" Bayman responded. He led Bass inside the room across from Hitomi's desk. The karateka could see Bayman shove Bass onto the seat and attach his handcuff onto the side of the table. Bass struggled against it, but Hitomi could tell that he was relieved that one of his hands were free.

"I demand that you take me home! I'm a celebrity - not a thief! I already have everything I want!" Bass argued.

"And that's why you did it!" Bayman snapped. "You stole those items from Helena Douglas so people wouldn't suspect you. It all makes sense now, you moron!" He then leaned on top of the table and glared at the pro wrestler. "I'm going to be conducting this interview now… Prepare to tell the truth, or suffer the consequences."

Bass gritted his teeth. "But I _am_ telling the truth! You're making no sense!"

"SHUT UP!"

The last thing Hitomi saw was Bayman slamming the door. She honestly hoped that the interview would go well.

* * *

Hitomi expected the constant shouting from both men to eventually settle down, but to her misfortune it never did. A few hours had passed at this point and the two men were still yelling louder than ever. Gen Fu didn't seem to mind, though, since he continued to stroll down the hallway like everything was normal. The senior officer eventually opened the door to the interview room in order to see how everything was going so far.

"I assume everything is going well?"

"Not really, Boss," Bayman admitted. "This goofball still won't admit that he robbed Helena and that little blonde girl."

"THAT'S BECAUSE I DIDN'T!" Bass roared. He then turned to Gen Fu. "I've been telling that gronk that I'm innocent but he won't listen to me!"

"Who are you calling a gronk?!" Bayman snapped.

Gen Fu frowned and decided to intervene with the interview. "I think I should take over with the interview," he said. He turned his attention to Bayman. "Thank you for your hard work today, Bayman. Your shift is over, so I'll take over from here."

"Alright, but there's no getting through to that idiot," Bayman mumbled. He then headed out of the interview room and made his way past Hitomi. He didn't seem to notice her as he retrieved his coat. "I'm outta here…"

When the front door slammed shut, Hitomi grabbed her now-completed files and headed over to the interview room. When she opened the door, her eyes instantly landed on both Gen Fu and Bass. They seemed to be having a much more polite conversation, as opposed to Bayman's previous rough attempt.

"I'm done with these reports," she cheered. "Would you like me to interview Bass instead?"

Gen Fu took the files from her with a small smile. "Thank you very much. And no, I can interrogate Bass myself."

"If you say so," Hitomi smirked. "What else do you need me to do?"

"Actually, I would say you're done for the day," Gen Fu answered, checking his wristwatch. "It's almost 10pm. You can go home now."

Hitomi was grateful that she was being excused. She was honestly exhausted by filling out all those boring reports. "I'll be here for my morning shift tomorrow."

"I'll see you at 7am sharp."

Hitomi had one last look at Bass before she made her leave. He seemed much more calm now. Hitomi thought it was possible that he and Gen Fu were already good friends. That would explain his sudden change of attitude since Hitomi knew that the pro wrestler had a hot temper towards most people.

The female detective collected her bag just before she made her way out of the building and locked the front door. The first thing she noticed was how cold it was outside. Immediately coming to a stop, Hitomi dug through her backpack and brought out her denim jacket. As she put it on, she could hear the bushes rustling behind her due to the wind. It was oddly loud. Afterwards, she made her way home with the hopes that she would be able to have a good night's sleep without any distractions this time.

* * *

When the next morning arrived, Hitomi decided to have breakfast at the diner. The last time she had purchased something there was when Kokoro was still alive. The karateka expected Leifang to be on duty, but it was actually Johnny himself. He spoke and did everything with a smile, but Hitomi could tell that it was forced. Unfortunately for Johnny, the diner was still more empty than ever and she knew that the man's business was slowly turning to dust.

After finishing her breakfast, Hitomi left the diner and proceeded to walk over to the police station. Her shift was going to begin at 7am and if she continued walking at her current pace then she would definitely make it on time. However, she became distracted when she noticed Bayman in the distance. He was sitting in his parked car as he devoured a breakfast burrito.

Hitomi approached the man and peeked through the car window. "I assume you have a shift today?" she guessed, referring to his work uniform.

The Russian man bolted up and yelped in surprise. Once when he saw that Hitomi was the rude intruder, he tried his best to act natural. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"I'm sorry for scaring you… What time are you starting your shift?"

"I'm not scared!" he defended. "... and I start at 7am."

Hitomi frowned at Bayman's short answer. She was hoping that he would be more willing to have a conversation with her. Her frown then turned into a smile. The karateka came to the conclusion that just he wasn't a morning person. Hopefully he would warm up to her later.

"Me, too," she replied. "Hey, I know a good idea! How about we drive to work together?"

"I don't think so."

"Aw," Hitomi pouted. "I was hoping you would agree since you have so much space in your car. If I walk to the police station, then I might be a few minutes late and I can't risk tha-"

"Okay, fine! Get inside, but sit at the back! Geez, you talk too much…" Bayman mumbled. He scrunched the empty wrapper belonging to his burrito and placed it inside the glove box.

Bayman didn't even wait for Hitomi to adjust her seat belt when he started the car. He sped forward since they were now a few minutes late. After being lectured by Hitomi from the back seat, the ex assassin finally agreed slowed down. Unfortunately for Hitomi, the car ride between the both of them was now awkward. She decided to lighten the mood by talking about their cases.

"So, how is your case going?"

"I'm not talking about my case with you," Bayman muttered. "It has nothing to do with your own case, so stop asking me."

"Okay, I'm sorry," the karateka apologised. "I guess I can be nosey sometimes…"

"Trust me, I can tell…"

"Hey!"

"You're the one who said it," Bayman shrugged. "Anyway, be quiet! I'm trying to drive here!"

"I'm sorry. I'll be quiet now."

Hitomi tried her best to remain quiet for the rest of the ride, but found herself occasionally gasping at the view as they drove by. Bayman rolled his eyes in response. He decided not to say a word because he knew Hitomi would never shut up if he dared to speak to her.

When they arrived at the station, Hitomi left Bayman to lock the car since she couldn't bear the silence any longer. This was most likely her longest record for remaining quiet. After praising her best effort, the karateka placed the key inside the keyhole, but was surprised to find that the door was already unlocked. As she headed inside and shut the door behind her, she was met with another horrifying scene.

Hitomi let out a high pitched scream as she saw Gen Fu's lifeless body on the floor. His skin was slowly turning a light shade of blue, and there was a gunshot wound between his eyes. Like Bankotsubo, his eyes were wide open as they stared up lifelessly at the ceiling.

A loud thud then interrupted Hitomi from her trance. She turned around to see Bayman who had opened the front door and slammed it against the wall. He ran towards the German girl and the colour from his face disappeared as Gen Fu's corpse came into view.

"Did you do this?!"

"What?! No!" Hitomi shouted, clearly surprised by his accusation. "I was with you just a few seconds ago!"

"Then it was Bass since he was also here last night! I knew it was him all along!" Bayman shouted in victory. "I bet he escaped after killing the old man..."

"Or maybe he might be hiding in the interview room."

"Right. I'll check there first," Bayman replied. "If he's not there, then it's definitely him!"

The Russian man then made his way over to the interview room in order to see if Bass was still inside. He brought out his gun and aimed it carefully just in case the pro wrestler was armed with any weapons to attack him with. As Bayman opened the door, he let out an unusual scream. Knowing that Bayman wasn't the type of person to scream, Hitomi was struck with fear. She stepped away from Gen Fu's lifeless body and headed over to the interview room. When she entered the room, she yelped in grief. As it turns out, this particular murder case was now extended...

There, laying in front of her, was Bass' corpse. Hitomi shrieked in horror as his lifeless body leaned over the table. His arm was still handcuffed against the leg of the table, and a large amount of blood was flowing all around his pale face.

"Th-This can't be right…" Hitomi uttered, covering her mouth. "How can the main suspect be dead?..."

Bayman studied the corpse from afar. "Since his hand is still attached to the table, I guess that tells you that Bass was never the murderer for your case… but I'm not sure about mine."

"But when did the murderer enter the police station?" Hitomi asked. "It must have been at night, maybe when I…"

As the karateka uttered those words, she couldn't help but trail off as she came to a sudden realisation. Those bushes that she had heard last night… Even though it was windy, the rustling of the leaves were particularly loud. Hitomi quickly put the pieces together and realised that the murderer had snuck inside just as she had left the police station.

Hitomi couldn't help but shudder at the thought and feel a lot of guilt overwhelming her. She had let this case slip right through her hands. The murderer was right behind her last night, and she had unknowingly allowed for them to murder Bass and Gen Fu.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _Thanks for reading!_

...

Where you can find the other investigation files:

 **Rolande :** Chapter 6

 **Kokoro :** Chapter 10

 **Tina :** Chapter 15

 **Bankotsubo : **Chapter 17

...

 **INVESTIGATION PROCESS #5**

 **Time of murder:**?

 **Place of murder:** The Police Station

 **Murder Weapon:**?

 **Who found the 1st body:** Hitomi

 **Who found the 2nd body:** Bayman

* * *

 **Death count:** Maria Douglas, Rolande, Kokoro, Tina Armstrong, Bankotsubo,


	20. Chapter 19

**A/N** **:** _I'm so excited to be updating this story again. I'll admit I've been very lazy... but that will change because I have all the remaining chapters planned out._

 _Also, now that there are less characters... expect more scenes with Bayman. He is now officially a main character._

 _ **Disclaimer** **:** All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me._

* * *

 **BREAKING CHAINS**

 **Chapter 19**

 _As Bayman left the interview room, Gen Fu sighed. He knew he would have to calm Bass down before interviewing him. After all, he didn't want to upset the pro wrestler any further. However, it looked as though the job had already been done. The senior officer was pleased to see that Bass was a little more calm now. It was possible that this was because Bayman had finally gone home for the night._

 _Just as he was about to begin his interview with Bass, the door unexpectedly opened. Gen Fu wasn't surprised to see that the person at the door was Hitomi. She was holding the files he had given her earlier._

" _I'm done with these reports," she cheered. "Would you like me to interview Bass instead?"_

 _Gen Fu took the files from her with a small smile. "Thank you very much. And no, I can interrogate Bass myself."_

" _If you say so," Hitomi smirked. "What else do you need me to do?"_

" _Actually, I would say you're done for the day," Gen Fu answered, checking his wristwatch. "It's almost 10pm. You can go home now."_

" _Okay," Hitomi nodded. "I'll be here for my morning shift tomorrow."_

" _I'll see you at 7am sharp."_

 _After making sure that Hitomi was gone, the senior officer decided to approach Bass once more. Even though the pro wrestler seemed to be more at ease now, there was still a sense of rage planted on his face. When he finally had Gen Fu's attention, he slammed his fist on the table with anger._

" _Come on, Gen Fu! You know I didn't rob Helena's mansion! I also wouldn't kill my own daughter!"_

" _I believe you," Gen Fu replied._

 _Bass' piercing blue eyes widened in shock. "You do?... Then let me go!"_

" _Unfortunately, I can't," the senior officer responded with dread. "It is my job to interview you. Unless you don't want to be cooperative and clear your name, we might be here all night."_

" _But it wasn't me!" Bass yelled._

" _And I said I already know that. However, you need to control your temper… This is why you are seen as a suspect, is it not?..."_

" _I guess so…" Bass mumbled. "Okay, fine. I'll answer your stupid questions."_

" _Excellent," Gen Fu said, revealing a rare smile. He then stood from his seat. "It's going to be a long night, so I'm going to grab us some food. How does some doughnuts and coffee sound?"_

" _You' sound like the stereotypical police officer," Bass laughed. "But yeah, I could go for anything right now. I haven't eaten since noon."_

" _Very well, then."_

 _As Gen Fu exited the room, he decided to leave the door open since he and Bass were the only two people inside the building. It would also be a good chance to keep an eye on him just in case he tried to escape. After when Gen Fu grabbed a plate of doughnuts and poured two cups of coffee, he noticed something odd…_

 _The small door leading to the secret entrance was open._

 _Gen Fu instantly knew that someone else was inside with him and Bass. His suspicions were confirmed as he found someone standing behind him. They had a dark glint in their eyes and were holding onto something strange._

" _Oh my, I see you've found the secret entrance," Gen Fu chuckled. His hearty expression then turned into a poisonous glare. "I knew it was you."_

 _The murderer chuckled. "You knew it was me?"_

" _Yes," Gen Fu answered with a curt nod. "You have been very clever so far, but not clever enough… Your clues were very obvious."_

" _If that's the case, then it's your turn to die, old man."_

 _Before Gen Fu could react, the murderer lunged forward and attacked Gen Fu with their strange choice of weapon. They struck his head several times with the item before he fell to the floor. They were glad to see that the senior officer was out cold._

 _Now that Gen Fu was unconscious, the murderer searched his body for any weapons. After finding a gun in the officer's pouch, the murderer aimed between his eyes and shot him quickly. Unfortunately for the murderer, they soon realised that Bass was inside the building as well._

" _Hey, are you alright, Gen Fu?!" he called. "I can't see anything, but what was that noise?!"_

 _Bass' face paled as he witnessed the murderer enter the interview room. He gulped as he noticed the horrific grin on their face._

" _Did… Did you… OH, MY GOD!"_

 _As soon as Bass put all the pieces together and realised what had happened, he tried his best to get up and run out of the building. Unfortunately, his handcuff restrained him from doing so. He attempted to pull his arm free from the handcuff, but it only resulted in the metal scraping against his wrist. He grunted as some blood appeared._

" _Look, you don't have to kill me," he begged. "You can run free and I won't tell anyone! I swear!"_

" _I'm afraid I can't do that…"_

" _What?!" Bass snapped. "So you're the person who is killing everyone and I've been one of the suspects this whole time… Wait a minute… Did you kill Tina?!"_

 _The murderer chuckled at how slow Bass had put the pieces together._

 _The pro wrestler could feel his face heating with rage. "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!" He slammed his fist against the table multiple times and attempted to flip it over. Unfortunately for him, the legs of the table were bolted to the floor. "DAMMIT! AND DAMN YOU!"_

 _As it turns out, those were the last words Bass ever spoke. After being hit on the head repeatedly with the same weapon that had been used to strike Gen Fu, Bass felt something sharp impale the back of his neck._

 _The pro wrestler's face fell on top of the table with a thud. He died instantly._

* * *

All Hitomi could do right now was sob as she continued to look at Bass' corpse. She felt terrible since he had been one of the main suspects but turned out to be innocent all along. This only made her doubt her other suspicions. What if Rig and Lisa were innocent, too? They were the only living suspects left. Her thoughts were then interrupted as Bayman grasped her shoulders. He shook the German girl in order to calm her down.

"You need to stay calm," he said as he let go. He then let out a frustrated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. "Dammit!"

Hitomi could tell that Bayman was trying his best not to show any emotion. He was always seen as a cold figure, so any kind of emotion was probably new to him.

"Are… Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm kind of pissed, if you know what I mean," he spat. "Our boss is dead and he was the only person who was good to me. Now that he's gone, everyone will continue to judge me."

Hitomi felt bad for the man. "If it makes you feel any better, I won't judge you at all."

Instead of responding to the karateka's kindness, Bayman headed over to Gen Fu's body in order to write the investigation report. Once when he was done, he handed the notebook over for Hitomi to read. She could barely read his scratchy handwriting:

 **INVESTIGATION REPORT** **: "The victim is Gen Fu. Age: 67. His body was discovered at 7:15am inside the Police Station. The cause of death was a gunshot wound between the eyes."**

Hitomi decided to inspect Gen Fu's body first since Bayman had already written the report. She couldn't look at the senior officer's body without wanting to cry. She knew how much he had wanted to see Mei Lin. Now she would never be able to see him ever again. The thought of losing a loved one caused her heart to skip a beat. She didn't know how she would be able to cope if her father were to die.

The first clue Hitomi noted was **the purple bruise neat Gen Fu's temple**. It looked fresh and it definitely wasn't there last night when she had spoken to him. His cold skin was slowly turning blue, and his eyes were wide open. Because of this particular finding, Hitomi instantly knew that Gen Fu had seen the murderer.

After closing the old man's eyes as a sign of respect, Hitomi observed the **gunshot wound between his eyes**. The young woman looked around the room for a gun, but there was nothing in sight.

Even though the front door of the police station was open, the back door was certainly locked. This was odd since she locked the front door last night. Hitomi then headed over to the miniature kitchen once more and saw that the **small door leading to the secret entrance was open**. The murderer must have already known about it. She decided to inform Bayman about the clues she had found so far. As she entered the interview room, she saw that Bayman was already recording the investigation report for Bass' death.

 **INVESTIGATION REPORT** **: "The victim is Bass Armstrong. Age: 46. His body was discovered at 7:18am in the interview room of the Police Station. The cause of death was a knife impaled at the back of his neck."**

All Hitomi could do was look at Bass' face. Even though she had already seen so many dead bodies, it was hard for her to believe that someone could murder the pro wrestler so easily. After all, she had seen him last night. He was perfectly healthy, and regrettably on her suspect list for all the other murders.

Hitomi's eyes began to water once more as she continued to look at the body. She eventually turned her attention to Bayman who was staring at her. Once again, his expression was cold.

"You should be used to seeing a dead body by now."

"I… I know…" Hitomi gulped. "It just doesn't seem real…"

"Well get used to it," he said in frustration. "I can't believe Bass is dead. He was the biggest suspect for my case… Now I'm at square one all over again!"

Hitomi sighed. She, too, felt the same way. "Same here with m-"

The karateka was interrupted as a loud scream filled her ears. Acting on their policing instincts, both Hitomi and Bayman ran out of the interview room. Their eyes laid upon Eliot who was kneeling next to Gen Fu's corpse. His hands were shaking and his face had a horrified look on it.

"What… What the hell happened?!"

"Gen Fu was murdered," Hitomi answered. A few tears spilled down her cheeks. "Bayman and I found him only a few minutes ago..."

"Bass was also murdered," Bayman added.

"What? Bass, too?" Eliot wondered. "I guess he wasn't the murderer after all…"

"Yeah. I feel so ba-"

"We need to avenge them!" Eliot interrupted Hitomi. He had determination written all over his face. "We wrongly accused Bass, and Gen Fu was the best mentor I've ever had… We will uncover all these murders!"

"That's great!" Hitomi cheered. "Okay, well, we haven't found any weapons yet… Maybe we should start with that?"

Eliot tapped a finger against his chin. Hitomi could tell he was deep in thought. "Well, it's clear that Gen Fu was murdered with a gun… and the gun law here is very strict… I don't think anyone in the town would own one."

"Except for the four of us," Hitomi added.

"That's right. And if I'm not mistaken, Gen Fu was the only officer here last night, meaning that…" Eliot said as he dug through Gen Fu's pockets. **He found a gun**. "... the murderer used his own gun against him."

"Let me see that," Bayman intervened, taking the gun. He inspected the bullets inside. "Aha! **One bullet is missing** … I assume it's the one jammed into the old man's skull."

Eliot was surprised that Bayman was helping them, even though he had his own cases to solve. The Russian man noticed that the male detective was looking at him oddly, so he cleared his throat.

"What? The boss was really nice to me… We need to avenge him."

"I agree," Eliot said with a smile. "Okay, guys, let's go and see if we can find any clues on Bass' body."

The three officers headed over to the interview room. There wasn't much to inspect around this area. The door was wide open, and the only other items in the room were the table as well as the chair Bass was slumped on. Bayman headed over to Bass' body and inspected his head.

" **There is a bruise on the side of his head** ," Bayman said. "He was probably attacked with the same weapon as Gen Fu."

"That also means that these two murders are the same as every other murder so far," Hitomi concluded. "Every victim has been attacked on the head…"

"We have a serial killer among us," Eliot said. He shook in fear as he said those words.

"Hm, what's this?..." Bayman muttered to himself. Hitomi watched as he tugged at something behind Bass' neck. He pulled it out and showed the two detectives. " **There was a knife stabbed into his neck**."

Hitomi tried her best not to puke at the sight of the knife. The blade was bloodied. All she could do right now was cover her mouth.

"Wait a minute…" Eliot began. He was looking at the knife. "I think that's the same knife that was used against Hayate."

Hitomi arched a brow as she headed over towards Bayman. She took a closer look at the knife. Just like the other knife, it was black and had the gold embroidery of a dragon onto it.

"You're right, Eliot… It _is_ the same knife!"

Bayman placed the bloodied knife into a clear ziplock bag and continued to inspect the rest of the room. Hitomi decided to concentrate on Bass' body some more. She eventually came across his left wrist that was still handcuffed to the table. **There were some deep cuts around his wrist** and there was a light trace of blood. Hitomi noted this as **a sign of struggle**.

"There is a sign of struggle on Bass' wrist," Hitomi informed them. "That means it is possible that **Bass witnessed Gen Fu's death** and tried to escape."

"So that means the old man died first…" Bayman noted. "Hm…"

Eliot proceeded to write all the clues down inside his notebook as Bayman and Hitomi continued to inspect the scene. Eventually, Bayman came across something that piqued his interest.

"Was there always a **tennis racket** behind this door?" he asked.

Eliot looked up from his notebook. "I don't think so… Even if it was, the interview room would be a strange place to hide a tennis racket."

"Very interesting," Bayman muttered, inspecting the tennis racket. " **There are quite a few dents on the edges** … Almost as if it had hit something a few times, if you get what I mean…"

"Are you saying that the tennis racket was used to hit Bass and Gen Fu on the head?" Hitomi asked.

Bayman nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying. It's severley damaged and would have been used to hit them a lot."

Eliot approached the two detectives and took the tennis racket from Bayman. He inspected the possible weapon and came to the conclusion that the Russian man was correct. The dents were deep enough to cause bruises on the head. He then found something else that caught his attention.

" **There are letters on the tennis racket** ," he said.

"What does it say?" Hitomi asked.

" _ **HD**_ … High definition?" Eliot guessed. "Why would a tennis racket be high definition?"

Luckily for the two detectives, Bayman figured out the answer right away. "No, you moron. They are a person's initials!"

"Hilary Duff?" Hitomi guessed.

"Wh- NO! How did you two idiots get this job?!" Bayman roared. "I'm sure it stands for **Helena Douglas**."

"That actually makes sense," Eliot replied. "She had a tennis match on the day her mansion was robbed."

"Yep," Bayman nodded. "A tennis racket, some balls, and her trophy were stolen that day."

Hitomi clapped and couldn't help but squeal. The two male officers looked at her with confusion. She headed over to Bayman and gripped his shoulders tightly. The ex assassin slightly flinched in response.

"Do you know what this means, Bayman?!" she asked, shaking his shoulders violently.

"No… What are you talking about?"

" **Our cases have been connected this whole time!** " she cheered.

"I see what you mean," Eliot chuckled. "Since the murderer has been leaving a pattern this whole time and even used Helena's missing tennis racket… they must have been the person to rob Helena's mansion that night."

"That's right," Hitomi said, her hands still gripping Bayman's shoulders. She then came to a sudden realisation. "... Do you think Helena was supposed to be murdered that night?"

"What the hell are you talking about now?!" Bayman barked. "And get your hands off me!"

"Sorry," Hitomi apologised. "Anyway, maybe it's possible that Helena was supposed to be murdered… but with Marie Rose at the scene, the murderer probably decided to steal some things instead."

"I guess that makes sense," Eliot shrugged. "Marie Rose also mentioned that night that Helena _recently_ hired her as her servant… The murderer probably didn't expect another person to be with her."

"Don't jump to any conclusions just yet," Bayman replied. "Doing so will throw you off and make you distracted."

"You're right," Hitomi nodded.

"Of course I am, little girl," he chuckled. "Anyway, it looks like I'm going to help you both with this case now."

Hitomi smiled brightly at Bayman's words. In a way, she was glad that he was going to help them with their investigation. Now that their cases were linked, it only made sense for the three of them to work together. After inspecting the interview room some more, Bayman turned to his work colleagues.

"Since there are no other clues inside the room, we should call for someone to collect the bodies."

* * *

After when both bodies had been collected to be taken to the morgue, the three officers headed over to the meeting room. Since their cases were linked together, Bayman thought this would be the perfect opportunity for him to share what he had found so far.

"So…" Hitomi began, clasping her hands together. "Who are your suspects?"

Bayman crossed his muscular arms and leaned back on his chair. "The suspects all have some kind of conflict with Helena," he said, scanning through his notes. "They were Lisa, Rig, Leifang, Bass, Ayane, and Zack."

Eliot noted everything down in his notebook. "What were their alibis?"

"Lisa said she was at her house that night but doesn't have an alibi. Zack said the same thing," Bayman answered. "Lisa looked like she was lying to me, so I've got my eye on her. And as for the idiot… He's usually a terrible liar but I think he was telling the truth for once in his life."

"What about Ayane?" Eliot asked. Hitomi tried her best not to roll her eyes at his growing smile.

"Why the hell are you blushing?!" the Russian man asked him. "A-Anyway… She said she was at that Sakura place. She said that the idea of Helena being robbed was funny. She pissed me off."

"What about Rig?" Hitomi asked.

"The bald guy with the ugly tattoos?... Apparently couldn't remember where he was that night. He's a liar!" the ex assassin boomed. "And the little Chinese girl told me she was with Jann Lee that night. He confirmed her alibi, so she's in the clear."

"Were there any other suspects?" Eliot asked.

"Yeah. I interviewed Bass at his house yesterday and he gave me an attitude," Bayman answered. "He pissed me off, too, so I took him to the station…. where he died…"

Hitomi gulped. Images of Bass from last night flashed in her mind. She wondered if he knew that his murderer was the same person who had strangled Tina to death. In a way, she was glad that Bass didn't have to grieve over his daughter anymore.

"Hello? Are you there?" Bayman asked, waving his hand in front of Hitomi's face.

The karateka blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"I've called your name almost ten times!" he yelled. "I wanted to ask you who your biggest suspects are. I've shared my information, so now you have to give me yours."

"Oh, right… Our biggest suspects are Lisa, Rig, and Bass… But I guess that just leaves Lisa and Rig now."

"Lisa and Rig were also suspects for my case," Bayman mentioned. "It would make sense for one of them to steal those tennis items."

"I think we should talk about the knife some more," Eliot intervened. "The dragon pattern might be a clue."

"Yeah, I've seen that dragon somewhere before…" Bayman replied. He went into deep thought afterwards.

"You've seen it, too?" Hitomi asked, bewildered. "We know that Rig has a dragon tattoo. That might be a clue."

"I've seen that Jann Lee guy wear some dragon patterned pants at the gym," Bayman added. "They're really ugly, if you ask me…"

"You know, I've seen Lisa buy some dragon fruit at the Seaside Market a few times…" Eliot replied. "Does that sound silly?"

Bayman mocked a laugh. "Yes, but we'll add it as a clue anyway."

"Ryu knows quite a bit about dragons as well," Hitomi said. "I remember he would always talk about them, as well as other artefacts… But he's been out of the country this whole time."

"Yeah. And Jann Lee was Leifang's alibi for the robbery," Eliot added.

"So that leaves us with Lisa and Rig," Hitomi concluded.

Bayman checked his wristwatch and revealed a small smirk. "You know, I think we've actually made some progress today," he said, getting out of his chair. He headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Hitomi asked.

"Home," he answered. "Actually, I think we should all go home for the day. Besides… I have a funeral to plan."

Hitomi nodded in understanding as Bayman took his leave. Eliot followed soon after. The karateka soon found herself locking the front door of the police station as she didn't want another incident to happen. And with that, she headed home with a heavy heart, but at the same time, she was happy to be one step forward to solving all these crimes. Her only wish was for DOATEC City to be peaceful once more, and she felt as though it was going to happen soon.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _Thanks for reading! See you next time!_

...

Where you can find the other investigation files:

 **Rolande :** Chapter 6

 **Kokoro :** Chapter 10

 **Tina :** Chapter 15

 **Bankotsubo** **:** Chapter 17

...

 **INVESTIGATION PROCESS #5**

 **Time of murder:** Between 10pm and 7am

 **Place of murder:** The Police Station

 **Murder Weapon(s):** Gun, dragon knife, tennis racket

 **Who found the 1st body:** Hitomi

 **Who found the 2nd body:** Bayman

...

 **INVESTIGATION #5 SUSPECTS**

 **Lisa Hamilton** **: [Suspect because of link to dragon knife / has been a suspect in every case]**

 **Ri** **g** **: [Suspect because of link to dragon knife** **/ has been a suspect in every case** **]**

 **Jann Lee : [Suspect because of link to dragon knife] **Has had an alibi before. _(cleared by Eliot)_

 **Ryu Hayabusa** **: [Suspect because of knowledge about dragons / link to the dragon knife]** Out of the country this whole time. _(cleared by Hitomi)_

...

 **INVESTIGATION #5 CLUES**

 **~ Head bruise #1** \- It looks fresh. The mark looks weird on Gen Fu's head, so it is possible that he was attacked with a strange object.

 **~ Gunshot wound between the eyes** \- But where is the gun...?

 **~ Open eyes** \- Gen Fu most likely saw the murderer.

 **~ The secret entrance** \- The small door in the kitchen leading to the tunnel is open. The murderer must already know about it...

 **~ Confirmed murder weapon! #1** \- Only members of the police force have access to a gun. Gen Fu's gun has one bullet missing.

 **~ Head bruise #2** \- Bass has the exact strange mark as Gen Fu. They were both attacked with the same object.

 **~ Confirmed murder weapon! #2** \- Bass was impaled with the same dragon knife as Hayate.

 **~ Signs of struggle** \- Deep cuts are found on Bass' wrist from the handcuff. It is possible that Bass saw the murderer and tried to escape.

 **~ Confirmed weapon** \- A dented tennis racket was found. This is linked to Bass and Gen Fu's bruises... Confirmed to be Helena's missing tennis racket.

 **~ JOINT CASES **\- The robbery and murder cases have been connected this whole time.

...

 **Explanation #6:** I never planned for Gen Fu to survive. His main role was to act as a mentor for Eliot and Hitomi. I wanted him to show Hitomi that it is always best to stay positive throughout the case. He was barely in the story, so it was best to just get rid of him altogether at this point.

 **Explanation #7:** Bass was actually going to survive in this story, but then I changed my mind because I couldn't think of any subplots for him. I actually wanted everyone to think of him as the biggest suspect, but... that did not happen LOL. Oops.

* * *

 **Death count:** Maria Douglas, Rolande, Kokoro, Tina Armstrong, Bankotsubo, Gen Fu, Bass Armstrong.


End file.
